MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Over the past three years, Holy Joe’s Café has been working with military chaplains to donate more than 61,500 pounds of coffee, tea and cookies to Maxwell Air Force Base.
Holy Joe’s Café, a non-profit organization, began in 2006 with the mission to provide deployed members with the access to coffee while overseas.
The company does not usually donate to stateside military bases, but will when there is a request from military chaplains to support their members. All branches of military are served through the organization.
“I heard about the need for coffee, and decided to do something about it,” said Tom Jastermsky, Holy Joe’s Café founder. “It has been so successful, we have donated more than 62 million K-cups in the past year to all our locations.”
Tom works with various companies to provide the coffee, all free of charge. The coffee is sent to 70 countries throughout the world, mainly in the Middle East where most military members are deployed, as well as, Africa, Europe and North Atlantic Treaty Organization hospitals.
This most recent donation from Holy Joes Café is the largest Maxwell has received to date. More than 14 flavors of coffee and tea, and eight flavors of Girl Scout cookies equaling more than 38,500 pounds of donated goods has been donated.
“It is a good way to get people together and chat over a cup of coffee and some cookies,” Jamieson said.
The Chaplain hopes to keep the donations pouring in, so the Airmen know how much people care about them and the service they render.
“When supervisors distribute coffee and cookies into their units, it helps them building stronger bonds with their Airmen,” Jamieson said. “It also helps build resiliency and morale in their unit and in their lives.”
For more information about donations and where to get donated coffee, tea and cookies, contact the base Chapel at 334-953-2109.