Young Mugs Coffee Roasters Pays it Forward for Zoë Faye

NiceWork! A cup of Young Mugs Coffee is more than filtered coffee grounds, it’s a cup of kindness. Zeppo Young, owner and roaster of Young Mugs Coffee in Webster, MA, has successfully turned his passion into a means to pay it forward. “I want my business to be known not only for excellent coffee, but for also having a sincere desire to make the world a better place…It makes me happy knowing that I can be a force for good, while serving excellent coffee.” Zeppo explained to Envision Kindness.

Young’s pay it forward journey begins with the life of his eldest daughter, Zoë Faye Young. In December of 2011 when Zoe was just 1 month old, doctors discovered a malignant Rhabdoid Tumor in Zoë, a rare form of cancer. Even when faced with unimaginable difficulty, Zoë, Laura and Zeppo found refuge in the kindness given to them by others. Whether it be hospital visits, blood donations or gifts, random acts of kindness began to accumulate from all over the country.

In her 6 months of life, Zoë touched the lives of not only her parents but people from across the country. “She made you aware of how fragile life can be, and how to live with a fire in your soul,” said by Laura Young on her blog, “Little and Fierce”.  In honor of the fierce life lived by their daughter, Zeppo and Laura created the “Zoë Faye Foundation,” an organization dedicated to providing support and assistance to children diagnosed with rare tumors including Malignant Rhabdoid Tumors, Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumors, and Non-CNS Extrarenal Rhabdoid Tumors.

As the loving father of 3 children and devoted husband to his wife Laura, Zeppo is well seasoned in the act of giving and receiving kindness. He is an integral part of his children’s lives. “I get to teach my children to work hard. To work smart. To follow their passions. That they are empowered to build a life full of joy and happiness,” written by Zeppo in the Young Mugs Coffee Roasters blog. Young is a man who values both his role as a father and the responsibility of living to make this world a better place.

Following in the footsteps of their foundation, Young Mugs Coffee Roasters has made it their mission to use their business as a platform for doing good. The coffee shop has donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and plans on raising money for Zoë’s Lemonade Stand, which benefits the Boston Children’s Hospital for September, Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. Zeppo uses the profits from his coffee shop to compliment the efforts of the Young’s foundation.

To learn more about The Young Mug Coffee Roasters and the Zoë Faye Foundation you can visit their websites: http://www.youngmugscoffee.com and http://www.teamzoecancersucks.com. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Next time you meet a stranger on the street, think about how you can pay it forward and be a hero in their life.  

Kindness Served One Cup of Coffee at a Time

cup of coffee

Brewed Awakenings is serving community, one cup of coffee at a time. At this warm little coffee shop in Newark, Delaware, people are the focus. The shop is known for hosting residents from all walks of life and making all feel welcome.

As a psychologist, owner and founder J.D. Willetts knows the importance of kindness, conversation, and relationships. When he opened the coffee shop in 2015, he had a strong focus: community. Good coffee is a plus (and trust us, they do have it), but the real focus here is on the friendly space. “…I want to spread the love. I want this to be a place where people are physically, emotionally, spiritually safe,” Willetts said in an interview with Honey Grow. 

Though you will find Willets at the shop most days, he doesn’t keep a dime of the revenue at Brewed Awakenings. Instead, profit is used to help the community. Willets also tries to be free as much as possible so that he can do what he’s best at: talk. He loves to take the time to sit and chat with customers.

One true example of kindness at Brewed Awakenings is their Community Cup program. For $1.50 and a personalized sticky note, customers have the option to pay it forward and prepay for a coffee for someone in need.  And if someone comes in for a sandwich too? No problem – sticky notes can be redeemed for food too.

Love what Brewed Awakenings is doing but aren’t in Newark, DE? The spirit of community can be spread to your hometown. Ask your local coffee shop what they think about starting a community cup program, or go out and buy someone a coffee today.