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.
