Tag: Fair Trade Coffee

Advent Calendar Day 26: Create Good Foundation

Create Good Foundation

It’s about water. It’s about sustainability and justice. Episcopal Relief and Development sells a Fair Trade Coffee called Bishops Blend. The coffee is purchased from Pura Vida Create Good. The Create Good Foundation was formed by Pura Vida Create Good in 1998 and continues to be supported by Pura Vida Create Good. Between Create Good Foundation and Episcopal Relief and Development water and hope are brought to and shared with coffee growers in Central America. ~dan rondeau

Quote . . .At the same time Pura Vida Coffee (currently named Pura Vida Create Good) was formed in 1998, the Founders also established a public nonprofit called Pura Vida Partners (currently named Create Good Foundation) to accept donations from customers and others to fund projects that would improve the lives of coffee farmers and their families. Pura Vida Create Good has funded from inception a significant portion of the overhead costs associated with operating the Foundation, and has and continues to make monthly contributions to the Foundation.

When you purchase Pura Vida coffee for your office, church or food service establishment, we hope you experience the intrinsic satisfaction of knowing you are helping us provide clean water, health care, and economic opportunity fo coffee farmers and their families. (Create Good Foundation website)

Mission Statement

The Create Good Foundation is committed to helping the lives of poor people who live and work in coffee growing regions around the world through water and economic infrastructure projects.

Vision Statement

We will be the premier organization to empower coffee producers, their families, and their surrounding communities through water and economic infrastructure projects paving the way for the next generation.

Source: About Create Good

Home Page for Create Good

Advent Calendar in one place
About the Online Advent Calendar


For further reflection

A key factor in having a stable and thriving community is to have an economic infrastructure that supports jobs. Throughout the developing world, jobs and opportunities are seriously lacking. This leads to migration, lack of personal investment, poor health, and little hope.

Water is a major issue throughout the world, which is why we work to bring clean water to people. However, clean water alone is not enough. People need access to jobs and opportunity. We are working to bring new opportunities to communities that allow innovation and jobs.

Here is what we have been doing;

  • Coffee land renovation in Oaxaca
  • Coffee processing equipment in Guatemala
  • Roasting business in Oaxaca
  • Business opportunities and training for the disabled in Peru
  • School rebuilt in Guatemala
  • Computer training center in Guatemala
  • Education facility in Guatemala
  • Computer center in Costa Rica
  • Women’s health training in Oaxaca
  • Vegetable greenhouse business in Oaxaca
____________
Text from the website for Create Good Foundation
Photo from the Facebook Page of the Create Good Foundation


The Holy Spirit: Calling out a great cadence

“Will you strive for justice and peace in the world? I will, with God’s help.” –From our Baptismal Covenant

“Green isn’t a fad. We’re not drawn to it because it’s hip. We are called to advocate for the Earth out of a deep sense of love and respect. Love for the generations that we will never know. Respect for the soil that we came from. We are from dirt; and to dirt we will return. (You can quote us – and Genesis – on that.) –Ashley Graham-Wilcox, in Spreading the seeds of eco-justice a reflection on her learning in the Eco-Justice Immersion Experience sponsored by Episcopal Leadership Institute for Young Adults.

Wild Goose LogoThe title of the Sunday Morning Forum (and this blog) is chosen for a purpose: we intend to hear what the Spirit is saying. We intend to hear the Spirit in the readings appointed for Sunday and in the stories of our lives (individually and communally as parishioners and friends of St. Margaret’s in Palm Desert). We intend to hear the Spirit in the news we read or hear and as we listen to the stories of other men and women of faith interpreting the news by their words and actions.

I hear the Spirit leading me, leading us (the people of St. Margaret’s), further along the path of justice and peace in fulfillment of our Baptismal Covenant. Consider:

To respond to the needs of our constantly changing communities, as Jesus calls us, in ways that reflect our diversity and cultures as we seek, wonder and discover together.
To prepare for a sustainable future by calling the community to become guardians of God’s creation

  • Our Rector’s vision that “Justice is at the heart of what God expects us to do and be: “[God] has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 from The Rector’s Desk, November 2011
  • The ongoing work of the St. Margaret’s Outreach Center feeding the hungry and offering the companionship and comfort of our faith to those who struggle

This month our Outreach Commission initiated a prayer service for healing at the Outreach Center and launched a PB&J Ministry to help feed the hungry The October 2011 View

  • In August 2011 young Episcopalians (like Ashley) gathered in Seattle to encourage each other to lead folks like you and me to a sustainable future—as a matter of faithful living in the Reign of God

Ashley’s reflection is straight forward and gives me great hope

  • In September 2011 our bishops asked that every Episcopalian

   … take steps in our individual lives, and in community, public policy, business, and other forms of corporate decision-making, to practice environmental stewardship and justice, including (1) a commitment to energy conservation and the use of clean, renewable sources of energy; and (2) efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle, and whenever possible to buy products made from recycled materials  Read The Bishops’ Pastoral Teaching

  • This summer our Vestry decided to go forward with a solar energy project for the parish (and the community)

Hear what the Spirit is saying? IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SPIRIT IS SHOUTING.

Pay attention!Which leads me to remind you and encourage you to encourage our Forum member, Sherry, and our Deacon Cherry Remboldt, who are advocating for our parish-wide use of Fair Trade coffee and compostable cups in our fellowship. This is a small step, to be sure, “to practice environmental stewardship and justice” using the words of our bishops, but it’s a step in the right direction.

As I write, Cherry and Sherry are helping the Outreach Commission sort through the costs and logistics of this move which, of course, will put us in step with our Baptismal Covenant, our Charter for Lifelong Christian Formation, our Rector’s vision for our parish, the work of our Young Adult Leaders, our bishops’ recent Pastoral Teaching (and invitation), our ongoing work for justice and peace as we serve others (for the love of God) in our community, and our commitment to build a sustainable future (our vestry’s vision—right in line with the vision of our bishops—as we take up a solar energy project).


Let’s stay in step with the Spirit who is calling out a great cadence for us.

%d bloggers like this: