Last Monday, which is our team Sabbath day, I ventured north into Shoreditch (which is several notches up the hipper-and-trendier scale than our neighborhood.) I was in search of a brand new coffee shop I’d heard about from some friends at church, who’d helped to launch it last month.
I was intrigued by the premise—their charity helps people recover from addiction, and wanted a place to give their clients job training. Most folks in recovery have real trouble finding a job or getting their resume into hiring shape, and the coffee shop would give them a place to do that with dignity and raise money for the charity to boot.
When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere: a snug little storefront café, impeccable minimalist design, and books for sale lining the walls. It seemed most people wandering in off the street didn’t know the story, and in a way that was the beauty of it—just another hip little place to grab a cuppa on the way home. I settled down in a barstool looking out the window to reread The Singer Trilogy and watch people passing by in the rain.
I had a lovely chat with the man who had the original idea for the café and a really relaxed afternoon; exactly what I needed that Sabbath. Plus, they were doing some training that day so I got an extra coffee for free—shouldn’t let those trial lattes go to waste!
You can read more about the opening of Paper and Cup café here.
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This is awesome!