Background (CLICK HERE to order)
Coffee that Can Make a Difference
In this day of continually rising costs, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Providence of God frequently rely upon the generosity of our friends and benefactors to assist in funding its ministries as well as help defray the costs of caring for its elderly and infirm Sisters in Assisi Hall. For this support the Sisters are eternally grateful.
Today, our Sisters’ ministries include teaching, education administration, social work, prison ministry and healthcare, to name a few. Ministries at our Motherhouse include the Franciscan Day Care Center and the Franciscan Spirit & Life Center. Plus, we house and care for a number of our elderly and infirm Sisters on location in Assisi Hall.
In order to be more self-supportive, the Sisters also need to be creative as a community, willing to try new and sometimes different ideas. With that in mind, congregational leaders have decided to enter the marketplace with their own brand of coffee, appropriately called Franciscan Blend.
Actually, the coffee is produced locally by Arbuckle’s Coffee Company in Verona, PA. Plus, as part of Arbuckle’s agreement with the Sisters, the company will purchase the coffee beans for Franciscan Blend from fair trade certified importers.
Over half of the world’s coffee is produced on small family farms with only a few acres of coffee trees. Fair Trade provides a way for these farmers to increase their incomes by helping them organize into cooperatives that link them directly to coffee importers. Fair Trade farmers are guaranteed a premium over the prevailing price for coffee on the international market. Fair Trade improves farmers’ economic stability by encouraging importers to extend financial credit to cooperatives and developing long-term relationships.
Through Fair Trade, farmers and their families are earning a better income for their hard work, allowing them to hold on to their land, keep their kids in school, and invest in the quality of their harvest, so they can continue growing excellent quality coffee for your morning brew.