After more than 5 years of planning, fundraising, and envisioning opening the HAS HEART Coffee Shop, the historic stone building is beginning to take shape with fresh drywall and exterior patio work underway.
For the past 10+ years, we’ve only had 1-month pop-up shops and exhibits to share our mission, showcase the HERO[series] projects and VOICES projects, and generate revenue to fund the next year’s project. We’ve relied on a small team of volunteers and have kept our liabilities and expenses to a minimum.
More than 12 years after our founders, Michael and Tyler, met over a cup of coffee, we’re 12-14 weeks away from serving our own coffee (via Madcap Coffee Co.) within a historic building on the grounds of Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Grand Rapids, MI.
In addition to the decal display built by Mathile Design Co. (who helped bring our shadow box table concept to life, as seen in Update 04), we also had the pleasure of welcoming Progressive AE into the shop for not only a preview cup of coffee but to also receive a generous donation from their annual employee golf outing. We were honored to be their local organization of choice this year.
If you or your company are interested in finding unique, meaningful, and engaging opportunities for your customers and employees, please contact us.
Remember the “Camo Campaign” we first launched in June, asking for donated uniforms to be dropped off at Sheldon Cleaners’ Laundry Room locations in Grand Rapids? After Sheldon Cleaners washed and folded all of those uniforms, we spent a fun “Craft Night” with our friends at Treetops Collective to cut and sew them into reusable fabric.
We then took nearly 10 yards of fabric to a local quilter to ensure greater durability of the cushions and add some extra layers of comfort. After she was done crafting a freehand meandering stitch on her long-arm quilter, the quilted fabric was taken to another woman in the Grand Rapids area to upholster them into the finished bench cushions — you’ll have to come in and see/try them!
If you or your company are interested in finding unique, meaningful, and engaging opportunities for your customers and employees, please contact us.
Another handcrafted touch to the Coffee Shop will be the barista aprons made by Rusty from Sidnaw Clothing at his workshop. Using deadstock waxed canvas and pieces from the same military uniforms used in bench cushions, we’re looking forward to having these functional aprons look better with age and wear for years to come.
While an unusual Halloween snowstorm was blanketing downtown Grand Rapids, inside the Coffee Shop was cozy and crazy with pictures getting hung, supplies being organized, and merchandised getting displayed.
The countdown begins towards Veterans Day, the Grand Rapids Veterans Day parade, and our soft opening!
None of this would be possible without the help of several partners, organizations, foundations, and individual contributors, including:
Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation
Downtown Development Authority
Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Pfeiffer-Lincoln Foundation
Michigan Arts & Culture Council
Anonymous Donor
For more updates, be sure to follow HAS HEART on Instagram and Facebook, sign-up for our newsletter, and bookmark the Coffee Shop page for more info over the coming months.
