Mom Finds Better Way to Raise Money for Local Schools

Patch loves supporting local businesses so we're launching an occasional series profiling homegrown entrepreneurs. To submit your business, fill out this online form. 

Business name: We CARE! Coffee Company, 6167 Jarvis Ave. #236 Newark, Califorina

What is your business known for? All of our products are made on demand - including the coffee, which my husband roasts fresh for each order.
Everything we sell is custom-labeled for our clients. We also provide an online store, so our clients can raise money from anywhere in the U.S.

When and how did your business get started? We CARE! Coffee Company is a fundraising business. We work with schools, youth sports teams, and school music groups to help them raise as much money as possible with one fundraiser.
We launched our company back in 2000. The idea came during a meeting at a PTO meeting at Lincoln Elementary School. We'd just wrapped up a candy fundraiser. The kids had sold a lot of items, but the profit seemed low (25%). In addition, we had to go pick up the order ourselves. When we got it back to the school, it was incorrect, so we had to bring the items back to the company, and pick up the correct order. It occurred to me, that there had to be a better way for school's to raise money. Since the majority of adults drink coffee, and since my husband and I had a history with coffee, (We'd owned a coffee house in Studio City, CA in the 90's.) it seemed like a good idea.

What's something interesting about your business your customers might not know? We've just completed a ground-up rebuild of our website. It's now mobile device friendly. In addition, we can now offer a Monthly Coffee Club. Every month, we'll ship fresh-roasted coffee directly to people's homes. The customer receives great coffee each month (shipping is free), and our clients receive an ongoing revenue.

For more information: 510-744-9086 or www.wecarecoffee.com

Submitted By: Monika Strand, Owner/ Bean Counter