When Josh White opened Heretic Coffee Co. in Portland, he wanted it to feel like the bar from the TV show Cheers, a place where everyone knows your name and cares about your life. The 37 year old coffee shop owner grew up in a low income household and never forgot what it felt like to need help, so when he learned that 42 million Americans could lose their monthly food benefits, he knew he had to do something. White announced on social media that starting in November, anyone losing their benefits could walk in and ask for a SNAP breakfast, a burrito and coffee, completely free with no questions asked.
What happened next shocked everyone, including White himself. After setting up a donation page over the weekend, he thought maybe a couple hundred dollars would trickle in, but by Monday he had received 14,000 dollars from strangers who wanted to help. Within just 72 hours, donations skyrocketed to over 280,000 dollars, with contributions pouring in from Australia, Ireland, Egypt, West Africa, and beyond. White was moved to tears by donations as small as one dollar and 17 cents, realizing that someone gave literally everything they had to help feed their neighbors. The global outpouring of support proves that when systems fail, everyday people will step up to take care of each other.
