The Well Coffeehouse, a local shop with locations in Brentwood and Nashville, has raised $10,000 of its $38,000 goal to build clean water wells for 40,000 people Nairobi, Kenya.
The Well Coffeehouse, a local shop with locations in Brentwood and Nashville, has raised $10,000 of its $38,000 goal to build clean water wells for 40,000 people Nairobi, Kenya.
The shop uses its profits to fund digging clean water wells in areas such as Africa and Haiti, and thus far have dug eight such wells.
The current project entitled Project .95 is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2015. It got its name because 95 cents can pay for one person to have clean drinking water.
The Well Coffeehouse features hot drinks, such as the Caramel Whip and the Mayan Mocha, as well as smoothies and iced coffee. Customers can add 95-cents to their drink order or donate in store or online to support the project.
John Pyle, general manager of the Brentwood location, said every dollar that doesn’t cover operating costs is “given away” to clean water projects.
Nairobi currently trucks in water from 25 miles away. The Well Coffeehouse is working directly with the Kenyan government to have locals dig and set up the wells.
Project .95 is the “largest project” the company has done so far, Pyle said.
The company feels “quite blessed by the people of Nashville” to be able to fund projects such as this and to have found success.
“We had little coffee- or business-knowledge at the beginning. We have been supported greatly by the Nashville community.”
The company has joined forces with the Living Water Project and Blood: Water Mission to help provide clean water “to the millions around the world in need,” according to its website.
Posted statistics include the fact that 6,000 people die daily from a lack of clean water; the cost of well construction is $1,000-$12,000; and at least 1,500 are impacted by one well.
The Well Coffeehouse was started in the Green Hills area in July 2012 but later moved its location to Granny White, across the street from Lipscomb University. They also added a location in Brentwood on Old Hickory Boulevard.
Chris Soper and Rob Touchstone, the two founders, created the company to help those in need.
For future goals, Pyle says the company would “love to take customers and go to Kenya” where they can work at the site of the wells.