Spire Summer 2020

Jeremy (’08) and Meghan (’06) Hardy

vision mission

meaningful line of work,” said Jeremy. “This would provide a consistent income that would secure housing and help break the cycle of poverty, linking arms with our neighbors in a way that would remind them of the dignity and beauty God has called them to.” With that, Vigilant Hope Roastery was born. With the help of local business owner, Allen Renquist, of Donut Inn, Vigilant Hope Roasting was the beneficiary of a $3,500 donation on behalf of Wilmington’s chapter of 100 Men Who Care. The generous donation helped secure a lease on property and renovations began in February 2020 with plans to officially open by this fall. The building will serve as the roastery and will also provide space for VH educational events and administrative offices. “Our motto with Vigilant Hope Roasting is ‘Good Coffee Good Purpose’,” said Jason Mitchell of Vigilant Hope. “We believe that everyone has a greater purpose, and this is a way to help people fulfill that calling. Many of the issues facing the homeless stem from a lack of purpose.” One Wilmington resident who has benefited from Vigilant Hope’s mission is Therem Dereef. Formerly homeless and struggling with substance abuse, Dereef is now a full-time employee of the roastery, has his own apartment, and is committed to his sobriety. He recently finished refurbishing a Volkswagen bus, which will serve as a mobile coffee unit for the organization. Once the roastery officially opens, Vigilant Hope is committed to employing many individuals who are considered

local partner ministries and organizations for meaningful and effective service. In 2015, Jeremy and VH staff member, Jason Mitchell, visited homeless camps throughout the city and surveyed the individuals living there and found the biggest needs were jobs and hygiene. “It’s hard to keep a job if you are not clean, “said Meghan. “Or, it’s hard if you are unable to maintain some kind of daily hygiene routine.” With this in mind, the team started to fundraise for a traveling shower by selling bags of roasted coffee beans from Nicaragua. Once the trailer was purchased, multiple businesses and organizations helped by donating their time and talents to get it operational. In May 2016, the shower trailer was completed with four showers total. “The showers can be hooked up to any water hook up and runs on propane,” said Jeremy. “We have a van that pulls it around town and holds towels, flip flops, and other shower essentials.” What started as a fundraiser, the VH team realized that they could do more with the coffee and turned it into a meaningful and life-changing opportunity. The group invested in a small roaster, which cut overhead costs and gave opportunities for employment. They started by distributing coffee to churches and pastors throughout Port City to serve parishioners at services and meetings. Fifteen pounds of coffee were produced when the operation first started in April 2019. By that fall, the output was 450 pounds a month, quickly outgrowing their small roaster. “Our goal was to create a variety of jobs, which could be easy enough to teach, but challenging enough to establish a

undesirable employees, either because of their homeless status, felony record, or substance abuse. “We love the fact that God gave us a big passion to teach others about the importance of serving those in need,” said Meghan. Meghan and Jeremy have three daughters; Olivia, Celia, and Alayna. Meghan is the owner of Dots & Doodle, a business inspired by her grandparents with a collection of repurposed jewelry created from vintage pieces and can be found on Etsy. If you would like to try Vigilant Hope Roastery coffee and support the mission of Vigilant Hope, visit www.vigilanthope.com .

Vigilant Hope Shower Trailer

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