COURTESY OF KALDI'S COFFEE
Kaldi's Coffee celebrates 25 years in business with a giveback to Missouri Baptist Medical Center.
Twenty-five years ago, Kaldi's Coffee (multiple locations including 700 DeMun Avenue, Clayton; 314-727-9955) came on the scene and fundamentally changed St. Louis coffee culture. To celebrate that milestone, the company hopes to effect even bigger change in the community through the establishment of a new charitable foundation.
Yesterday, the St. Louis-based roastery and coffeehouse chain announced the creation of its new foundation as a way to "give back to the community that has supported them over the years." To do so, the company will be donating $1 from each bag of its newly-released "25th Anniversary Blend" coffee to a charity of its choosing.
Missouri Baptist Medical Center's stroke program was announced as Kaldi's first charitable partner. Kaldi's has set a goal of raising $25,000 for the organization that will be used to support stroke survivors and their families after they leave the hospital and embark on their lengthy and arduous recoveries.
"The effects of a stroke are often life-changing for the survivor and their family," says Debra Victor, Vice President of the Missouri Baptist Healthcare Foundation. "To provide a continuum of care after leaving the hospital, we are creating a new program to help survivors and their caregivers adjust to their new normal."
The program will allow the hospital to offer stroke survivors and their caregivers to have access to ongoing care and education, therapy services, nutritional support and more. According to the hospital, 25 percent of adults in the St. Louis community will experience a stroke during their lifetimes.
Kaldi's Coffee is especially excited about its "25th Anniversary Blend" because of its history. Featuring beans from Kenya, Colombia and Guatemala, the coffee is a nod to the company's first blend, made in 1995. Beginning tomorrow, coffee-lovers can purchase the "25th Anniversary Blend" at one of Kaldi's numerous cafes. The blend will be available to purchase at local supermarkets that carry Kaldi's next week.
"Support of health and wellness advancements has always been a pillar of our values at Kaldi's," explains Kaldi's Coffee President Tricia Zimmer Ferguson. "Whether directly or through a loved one, most people experience the life-altering effects of a stroke at some point in their lives."
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