A new take on your favorite indulgence

The popular "Pumpkin Spice" coffee is BACK!  Limited to our fall season, you don't want to miss your window of enjoying a cup of this yummy treat without all the extra "fuss".  It's like a dessert only without all the calories and fat to boot.

To contrast our 0 calories "Pumpkin Spice", I thought I'd show all of you Starbucks "Pumpkin Spice Latte" fans just what you are consuming when you stop in for your favorite fall drink.  Start making those resolutions early and think how you can still indulge without the bulge.

Nutrition info on a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte - 16 oz. grande

• 380 calories
• 13 grams of fat
• 49 grams of sugar

OR ... indulge and keep your fitness goals with our "Pumpkin Spice" without all those extra's.  

Go on over and order HERE today.

We also have a new "Fall for Flavors" Gift Box perfect for your family, friends, co-workers, clients.

• Pumpkin Spice Coffee
• Witch's Brew Coffee
• Football Frenzy Coffee
• $29.99 plus shipping
• Private Labeling Available

A sneak peek

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?

I see a new Coffee House looking at me.  

Thought I'd give you a sneak peek into our new facilities.  This building will be connected to and adjacent to our current roasting/packaging facilities ... and our roasters will be located in HERE.   What do you think so far?  

Missoni at Target

I've been seeing commercials lately for Target featuring a line called "Missoni".  All the same prints ... all different colors, on everything from picture frames, bath towels, make up bags, shoes, clothes and more.
Not thinking anything of it ... I walked into Target today.

Mistake #1

Apparently, I'm not only not friends of the "Jones's" but I don't even know who they are!  Fashionista, I am not.  Wondering into the store, I notice several woman walk by me with carts FULL of the print from the commercials I have been seeing.

Walking past the young girls section, I spie a cute little dress.  Something that looks like this (but I hope longer) ...

I look at the price.  More expensive than most Target items I buy, but cute and well, whimsical, just like my 9 year old daughter.  In the basket it goes.  Uh oh, did I just meet the Jones's?

Rounding the corner to the ladies department, I notice a large group of ladies clammering over the same rack.  Peeking in through the crowd I notice the same cute pattern. Hmmm ... "Missoni" it says??  

 What is all the fuss I think to myself?

Walking away I over hear a Target worker talking to another.  "Yeah, two ladies were fighting over rain boots this morning".  The other says "You should have seen the two fighting over a dress"?

Walking away I think to myself "Rainboots, aren't we in a drought and it's not expected to rain until like 2012"?

Meandering down the next isle, a young girl on her phone passes by.  I over hear her telling the person on the other end that she's on a "scavenger hunt" and they've hit "Every Target in Town"!!   Looking down at her basket, I notice the same inconspicuous print all over everything in her cart.  Hmmm?  

Upon arrival home, I decide to google this thing ... "Missoni".  O.K., so some Italian designer .. blah blah blah - really expensive - foreign.  I then see a link for "Missoni at Target".  Clicking on it, I read these words.

We are suddenly extremely popular. You may not be able to access our site momentarily due to unusually high traffic. Please stay here and we'll try to get you in as soon as we can!

On top of the post, I notice the same words "Missoni".

So here I sit.  Thinking.  Computing.  Wondering.  Observing.  And yes ... Judging! (I'll admit it)

I just walked into two Target's today.  I just watched ladies fighting over a "Name brand" item because it was "less".  I just saw them pass by me with carts FULL of clothes, towels, picture frames and more.  Apparently, waking early and CLEARING out every. last. item for what?

It makes me wonder what the Lord must think of us today.  It makes me wonder, what would it be like if our world wasn't so upside down?  If we didn't care about what "brand" we wore.  

What if those same ladies were waking up early and clammering to sponsor one of our children in Warancha?  What if the 34.00$ they spent on just ONE of their items, went to activating the sponsorship of a vulnerable and orphaned child?  What if, we didn't worry so much about keeping up with the "Jones's"?  What would my morning be like, if I had to call HopeChest and tell them "profile me more children ... they cleaned me out"!  

I suppose if that were so, the world would be right.  I suppose if that were so, their wouldn't be a need for all the ministries I loved because we'd all be spending far less time thinking about our "things" and ourselves and far more time, concentrating on others.  And well, If that were the case, I wouldn't have 83 children still needing a sponsor family.  

But it's not.  

Apparently, Target's next shipment will arrive at 8:15 am.  You should probably get their by 8:00 ... because if you don't, you'll be too late ... and it'll all be gone.

*A disclaimer.  If you bought yourself some "missoni" today ... or will, in the coming days.  No guilt.  No shame.  Enjoy your clothes.  They are definitely cute clothes.  The point of the post is simply to point out how crazy we can all get over "THINGS"*

Get a Life!

Tom Davis, author of "Red Letters", "Fields of the Fatherless", "Priceless" and "Scared" (all books you MUST read!) and President of Children's HopeChest  (the ministry to which our CarePoint is through) just posted an awesome blog post on his blog titled "Get a Life".    As usual, Tom eloquently puts into words why each of us should "GO" and see for ourselves the poor, the orphan and the destitute among us.  I so agree with what he says.  I can post pictures of sweet faces of the children of our Warancha CarePoint.  I can post stories from my own experiences.  I can tell you of the need amongst such precious children.  I can cry out to you to join us in being their "Hope" and "Future".   But, until you experience for yourself, no one can truly put it into words adequately, and you'll never quite understand it until you just "GO".
Tom shares about 3 up and coming trips all through an amazing missions sending ministry we love called "Visiting Orphans".  The "Ethiopia October" trip is the trip we've been sharing about.  What fun!

So, as Tom writes, "Get a Life".  As Jesus told the rich man, sell all you have and follow me.  Just COME and see what eternal rewards he has in store.

We can't wait to see just who will follow.

To sponsor a child in Warancha CarePoint (34$/month).  Please contact Cristie and cmartine@satx.rr.com.  She'll get you all set up and on the road to your own sweet relationship with a child.

To join our October mission trip into Addis Ababa and Awassa, Ethiopia.  You can click on the link on Tom's blog "Ethiopia Oct 6-16" (that's our trip!!!) or you can visit the  Visiting Orphans  website to fill out your application right there online.

Important Dates:
$200 deposit for the trip
Deadline for application:  August 31
$2,000 due on August 31
remaining balance due by Sept 15

A crazy grand adventure! JOIN US!

O.K. all you crazy, orphan loving, coffee drinking, G2C fans ....  It's time to get busy and get GOING! 

On June 17, your favorite Ground to Cup coffee launched the official partnership of G2C with Children's HopeChest, to take on loving a CarePoint community in Awassa, Ethiopia called "Warancha".  We've been chatting about that here for a while and we featured that CarePoint launch at our "No Double Yellow Line" event recently.  Our role in this partnership is to gather our community together to sponsor 150 plus children (giving them education, medical/dental care, discipleship) and begin to effect change in their community through capital projects and more.  To add, GOING would be an opportunity for anyone interested each year.  Little did we know, the Lord would say "GO" so quickly.

Through a stream of incredible events, one of your awesome G2C partners will be leading the first ever Children's HopeChest/Visiting Orphans mission trip into, count em', FOUR CarePoints (including the opportunity at ours) in Awassa, Ethiopia. 
The team will also spend the first few days in Addis Ababa loving some precious kids in orphanages there.

This trip is sure to be incredible as the team will get to see first hand the difference sponsorship makes on a community and the children within it.  Each CarePoint is at different phases of it's sponsorship and capital projects ...  including OURS ... Warancha ... which is brand new in the program. 
We have many children yet to be sponsored in this community (so please leave a comment/contact if that interests you and we will be in touch - $34/month) so the team will also get to meet the sweet faces of those children who still yearn the hope of a sponsor family.  AND ... for those of you who have already activated your own sponsorships, you can meet your sweet children in person! 

Time is of the essence in sign ups for this trip and so I would LOVE for any of your help.   FIRST, sign up yourself if you can go.  It will be life changing.  Next, promote it on your FB pages and blogs by sharing the link to this post!  Please oh Please share this with your friends, churches, and spheres of influence!  We want to fill this team and love big these children! 

Go to Visiting Orphans  and click on "Mission trips".  Click on "Africa", "Ethiopia" and then "2011".  You can read more about the trip there under "October 6-16".  You can fill out your application right there online and then, fasten your seatbelt for 10 days that will completely wreck your world and arrest your heart forever!   Come on friends ... let's put caring for these children's HOPE and FUTURE into action with our hands and feet by GOING and LOVING and SERVING!  

Some of the sweet faces of "Warancha"

Are you their hope?

Yabetse, Malawie and Letamo are just 3 of the many faces staring back at me looking for a family who wants to be a part of giving them a Hope and Future.  

Are you their Hope? For $34/month ... 1$ a day, you can help provide these precious children an education, medical care, discipleship and 2 meals a day at the CarePoint in Awassa, Ethiopia.

Will you say "yes"?  

Just leave me a comment and let's get you set up.  

Come on and Cross over with us!

On June 17th we were blessed to have an awesome event, "The No Double Yellow Line" where we officially launched our CarePoint Sponsorship "Warancha" in Awassa, Ethiopia.  We partnered our evening with the talented and incredible Cindy Foote as she debuted her new EP release of "No Double Yellow Line" that features 7 songs on adoption and orphan care.

The night was more than we hoped or imagined as Cindy blew our socks off and brought the guests to both tears and laughter as she shared the world of adoption through her own lens ... 3 times over.

Michael Vinson of Children's HopeChest , shared the vision of why we are doing what we are doing ... working to get 150 children of Awassa, Ethiopia sponsored and spurred us each to action as he shared the heartbeat of their amazing ministry ... YOU!  HopeChest couldn't do what they do to provide Hope for so many lives without each family who gives of their heart and time to a child sponsor.

Doug Martine of Ground to Cup called us from a place of complacency to action and asked us each to get involved.   The Ground to Cup team is so excited about this partnership with HopeChest and this CarePoint and truly we feel like our motto "bringing other's a Hope and Future" is exemplified through each family who joins us to love big this community.

Cristie Martine shared her heart for the orphan and personal testimonies of seeing first hand stories of children who have been sponsored in Ethiopia from her trip in February.  She shared the reality of what life for a child might look like when their is no hope for an education, meals, discipleship and medical care.  With a badge of honor, each child hold's your family, their sponsor family, close to their hearts.  Even from afar, your relationship is valued and worth far more to each child than any other worldly possession!

25 families picked up sponsor packets that night and so far around 13 of those families have followed up and activated those sponsorships.  We have many many more children looking for that hope that you can give.  Just think for $1 a day, you can change the future of a child forever.

So, come on, join us as we embark on this new adventure.  We're learning it all with you and excited to see what is in store.  For sure .... trips to love our children will be on the future horizon!

Special Thank You's for the night cannot go unnoticed.  Without these folks, this event would have never happened!

• Crossbridge Community Church - your willingness to step up and open your beautiful facility to us was a blessing!  Thank you Debbie Ashton for all you did!
• David and Billie Gill, Debbie and Paul Graff, Evelyn Demelio, Janet and Bill Gonser - the catering and kitchen team who cooked and served all 220 people that night!  Your hands of service were amazing!  
• Evelyn Demelio - your yummy cakes!  Thank you!
• Ground to Cup Coffee - Briskets, coffee, coordination of the event
• Billy and Cindy Foote and their amazing band!  Thank you to each of you for coming all this way to make this night a huge success
• Jennifer Verme - the amazing centerpieces that adorned each and every table.  You are talented beyond our imagination!
• Michael Vinson and Children's HopeChest for the opportunity to partner with you in Ethiopia!
• Our community; friends and family who joined the night and made it fabulous!
• Those who have said "yes" to sponsorship!  This is only the beginning to the rest of the story!  

Because I can ...

There is something so rewarding about being the PR gal for G2C coffee ... this might be one of my rewards today.
Yep, meet one of your G2C partners and roasters.  Why must I debut this picture? Well, because I can!

NEW VENUE LOCATION

Hello friends!
I wanted to update you that the "No Double Yellow Line" event location has changed from Community Bible Church to Crossbridge Community Church.  If you have already registered, please note the change - address is below.

We are filling up fast for this awesome night.  Our seating is limited and as soon as we reach our maximum, we will have to close down registrations.  Please don't delay in registering.  We'd hate for you to miss out on this awesome night.

Register today at "No Double Yellow Line"

Also, if you would like, Cindy Foote's EP releases TODAY!  You can order a CD on that same site.  They will also be available for download from iTunes but not until June 1.  Go on, get yourself one and get a sneak peak into the launch event sounds.

If you cannot join us but are interested in being a part of the sponorships and involvement with the CarePoint in Awassa, Ethiopia, we indeed NEED and WANT YOU to be!  I will post soon on how you can sponsor a child.  Let me know in the comments if you would like more information and I will be sure to follow up with you!

You are Invited!

You are Invited!  

Please join us on Friday, June 17, 2011 for one amazing night!  

We are excited to launch the newest Ethiopian CarePoint by Ground to Cup Coffee, a sponsorship community of Children's HopeChest.  

Come hear stories and songs of adoption, orphan care and hope.  Come hear how YOU can impact the life of a child with 1$ per day!  Seating is limited so don't wait to reserve yours!

G2C partners with Bheveni CarePoint in Swaziland!

G2C is super excited to announce our newest online partner, Bheveni CarePoint.  Bheveni is a CarePoint community located in rural Engculuini, Swaziland that is providing a hope and future for 150 children through a sponsorship program with Children's HopeChest.

The program is a holistic and long term program that addresses 5 areas of need for these children; Physical Development, Educational Development, Emotional needs and Life Skills.  For as little as $1 a day or $34 or a month, a family sponsoring a child through Bheveni is the conduit to allow a child these opportunities and gets to experience the joy of letter writing and even the opportunity to GO and love the child they are supporting through trips into Bheveni.

Education is a gift that many take for granted in the States.  This isn't the case in Swaziland.  In order for a child to receive an education in Swaziland they must pay tuition.  This can cost anywhere between $40 to $700 dollars per year depending on the grade level.  A student is also not allowed to graduate to the next grade level until their previous tuition is paid.  This is why several of the children in Bheveni who are teenagers can still be found in the 4th or 5th grade.  It is heartbreaking to know that the only thing standing in between these children and an educated future is financial resources.

Because of this, the Bheveni CarePoint community and those who sponsor it's children are passionate about providing this resource and have developed a program called B.E.S.T (Bheveni Education Scholarship Trust).  Trust is a funding program that the in country staff will be able to pull from should a child's family not be able to provide those resources at the discretion of Children's HopeChest.

Ground to Cup is thrilled to be a partner in this program.  Each time a purchase is made in their name, here, 40% of that purchase will be given back to Bheveni CarePoint for the B.E.S.T program.
We can't think of a better way of providing a Hope and Future to a child than providing them with the opportunity to provide themselves one through an education!  We are thrilled to partner with Bheveni CarePoint and their sponsoring families!

This sponsorship and CarePoint community is also looking for an additional 35 families to sponsor children.  As well, if you are interested in joining them, they will be taking a trip into Bheveni in Swaziland, Africa on September 17-28th of this year.  They would love for you to join them yourselves and see how every choice you make, including the coffee you drink each day, can impact a life.
Just think, your morning cup of coffee, something you do every day,  could indeed provide a child an education and a future!

If you are interested in sponsoring a child through Bheveni or in joining the trip, you can find Bheveni CarePoint through Facebook and contact their Sponsorship Coordinator, Danielle Brower there.

The children line up on primitive wooden benches for their lessons. These are children either too young for school or children who cannot pay the school fees and are therefore not in school.

Join us! The "No Double Yellow Line" EVENT!

The team of G2C is excited beyond words!  The vision of our company has always been so much bigger than the coffee we love.  Our dream is to use what we love and the community we love to impact and change lives!  Indeed, our goal is to "Bring a Hope and Future"and now, we are calling you to join us and be a community to a community!

G2C is launching a "CarePoint" Sponsorship community in Awasa, Ethiopia.  We will be partnering with an amazing ministry called Children's HopeChest to make this happen.  There are hundreds of children in the community who will need "Sponsors" but we will start by working to get 150 sponsored through our community.  What does this mean?  For $34 a month, a family can "adopt" a child by providing them an education and two meals a day.  A family will get the opportunity to write them letters and impact their lives by simply loving them well!  We will also have the opportunity to bring in teams to visit these children 1-3 times per year and build into their community with projects to better their living circumstances.  Your child won't just be a face, you will have the opportunity to truly know your child!

We want YOU to join us!

We are hosting a launch event here in San Antonio on June 17th!  This will be a FREE event for you to come, enjoy dinner, an awesome concert by a precious friend who will also be launching her new EP release "No Double Yellow Line" - when adoption collides with music,  hear more about this opportunity and of course, enjoy all of these things over your favorite cup of coffee!

Please join us by reserving your seat today!  Space is limited so do not delay!

Register by going here and clicking on "The Event".

"No Double Yellow Line Event"
June 17th
Community Bible Church
6:00 - 8:30

Faces of Hope

One of our team members, Cristie Martine, just spent two weeks in Ethiopia, Africa with a team from one of our partner ministries, Visiting Orphans.  The goal of the trip was to Simply Love each beautiful face that was set before her.  Spending time in orphanages, The streets of Korah; a community built around a dump, in rural communities delivering shoes and walking the streets of Addis Ababa they were sure to be the picture of bringing others a HOPE and a FUTURE!  How quickly she learned different.  How quickly she'd learn the face of Hope!
The return home has been a difficult transition.  Living between what feels like two worlds has proven to be an impossible task.  The faces and lives that she thought she would touch in contrary, not only touched her, but has changed her life forever!
In the simplest of living and a place "this world" says lacks everything, she found joy, peace, and abundant life!  Amidst the smiles, each loving embrace and exchange of friendship, Cristie saw the picture of HOPE and the definition of an abundant future was re-defined.
While we work tirelessly to bring a future to those she met and embraced, we are certain that it is THEM who will show us the face of hope!

At Ground to Cup Coffee, we talk often of our mission, to bring a Hope and Future to others.  We love great coffee and we love sharing that passion with each of you, however, the heartbeat and pulse behind why we do what we do goes far beyond the bean and each roast.  Our coffee is our means to invite each of you to be a part of a greater impact.  Our coffee is a means to weave our lives into the lives we have grown to love.  Using our coffee to be a vehicle to support the work of ministries like Visiting Orphans that sends teams into 13 countries and counting, to partner with ministries like the One Child Campaign who are impacting the lives in communities like Holeta, Ethiopia and who are working tirelessly to bring compassion and justice to the orphan, and and to help raise the funds for families to fulfill their dream of adding to their family through adoption is simply a small stepping stone to a much larger future we hope to share!

What does HOPE really look?  It can be found in the faces and streets of a community 4,000 miles away!  They showed us hope, now, will you join us in bringing them a future?