We Love These Organizations (we think you will too)
Guys. It’s been forever since we actually made a blog post and I apologize for that. One thing about small business ownership that i’m learning more and more about everyday is just how much things can change from one day to the next.. One day, i’m filling in at the shop to cover a shift, the next i’m in meetings from sun up to sundown, the next i’m loading pallets onto a box truck. Unfortunately, that means I can’t quite communicate the way I really really want to but i’m learning! I promise to do better but at any rate, I wanted to share this post because it means a ton to me and the work we’ve been doing behind the scenes.
This year, we’ve really focused on supporting other outdoor organizations. Many of you know we also started our own outdoor non-profit called Campfire Explorers Club and that organization is still taking shape. We’re learning what is needed and where we can be of most value to the public with it and with that, we’ve focused the coffee side of the operation on supporting as many outdoor focused groups as we possibly can through coffee fundraisers. So I wanted to compile a list of these wonderful organizations in hopes that maybe you would as well. You won’t find these in our regular Campfire Coffee online store and the reason is simple: It’s about the organizations. We’d rather you not have to surf through 30 of our products to find this one - we’re not trying to sell you a hoodie, we’re trying to sell you coffee that’s gonna raise money for great causes. And with that - here are the organizations we’ve worked with this year, a little about them, and their beans.
Camp Fire - Spark Roast: Camp Fire is a national organization you may know as Camp Fire Girls from back in the day. We absolutely adore their work around empowering youth and making camp accessible and they were the first organization we had the pleasure of working with. With councils across the country, their work not only fills so many voids in our society, their work helps these kids recognize their potential.
Experience Camps - Campfully Coffee: Wow. what an organization. Experience Camps is based in the Northeast of United States but their work ripples across the nation with camps in Maine, Georgia, California, Michigan and Pennsylvania. They provide community, care, support and outdoor experiences for kids who have lost a loved one. Their work serves a group that really and truly needs it.
Friends of Outdoor School - Explorer’s Roast: This one is so near and dear as outdoor school was one of my first real outdoor experiences as a kid. It used to be a thing all the 5th and 6th graders got to do and Friends of Outdoor School is working to make these experiences even more accessible for kids throughout the wonderful state of Oregon.
Stem to Stern Rowing: We learned about Stem to Stern from our friends at Tacoma Rowing who just so happens to be a part of Stem to Stern. What makes Stem to Stern so cool to us is they are working to make rowing teams around the country more competitive by lowering the barriers to the sport so more kids can get involved. We all know the perception of sports like rowing, and this organization is crushing that perception everyday with boathouses around the country.
Tacoma Rowing: A part of STEM to Stern, we had to give a shoutout to our hometown boathouse. The whole crew down at Tacoma rowing is passionate about the mission of making rowing more accessible and equitable and we see it everyday as they row just a few hundred yards away from our shop.
Washington Wild - Wild and Scenic: I just can’t stress enough how important the work of these folks is when it comes to preserving our wild spaces. Small and mighty and really doing great work - if we’re going to make the outdoors more accessible it starts with protecting these lands. Washington Wild has been doing that since the 1970s.
Wild Society - Wild Wake Up: This is a group that in some ways reminds me of a little bit of all of our partners mashed into one. They support getting more kids into the outdoors and keeping wild spaces wild through a bevy of outdoor experiences but mainly through backpacking. They don’t turn any one away and have programs for all ages and experience levels and really make getting into the outdoors EASY.
Look guys, the coffee is good and all but purchasing one of these bags half the proceeds go to support their missions. There’s that saying “a rising tide raises all boats” and that could not be more true in this instance. YOU get REALLY good fresh wood fire roasted coffee, organizations get some support and we get to be friends with all of you! So please consider clicking on the links and learning more about these wonderful groups and the work they do and if you just so happen to be running low on your Joe, grab a bag and feel good about it.
Other groups we’ve supported, had the pleasure of working with or will be supporting soon: