Introducing 3-19 Coffee
Purchase a bag of 3-19 Coffee for $20 - $5 goes to the IRC!
(IRC staff favorite is Dali Whole Bean | Dark Roast!)
The IRC’s newest partner is 3-19 Coffee, a craft roasting company with a passion for community and social justice. Founded by college buddies Mike Weaver and Mike Vehar, the 3-19 is committed to ethically sourcing its delicious coffee from small farms in Latin America and roasts locally in Oakland, California. We spoke to Vehar to learn more about 3-19’s mission and its collaboration with the IRC.
According to Vehar, 3-19’s founders sought to be more than just another coffee purveyor. They wanted to source responsibly, pay fair wages and have a positive impact on humanity –– especially in the lives of farmers and their families, as they aim to improve the quality of life in villages where they source their coffee. Vehar even instituted an art collaborative that painted outdoor murals in Guatemala, and also created a COVID emergency food drive to help the coffee farmers without access to basic supplies. In short, they designed a craft coffee company dedicated to paying fair, livable wages while deeply investing in the lives of coffee farmers and offering some of the most delicious coffee beans in the world.
About a year after the business got off the ground, the 3-19 team began to look for ways to help people in their own backyard. “We were seeking out new ways to connect with the local community and do good with coffee, and we immediately saw that there were great non-profits already doing really great things. So we offered our coffee as a way for them to connect with the community and sell something tangible...something a little different than just asking for a donation.” This mission has expanded to over a dozen non-profits, most recently, the IRC.
The IRC's connection with 3-19 couldn’t have occurred more organically. After moving from Oakland to Monrovia, Mike Weaver and his wife became fast friends with his neighbors, IRC supporters and volunteers Katey and Gabe Cabrera, as well as Jeff and Tiffany Westra, who then introduced him to our staff. Mike was happy to find us, just a couple blocks away from his house. It wasn't long before Mike had dropped off samples of 3-19 Coffee at 303 West. As coffee enthusiasts, the IRC staff immediately fell for 3-19 Coffee's rich, smooth taste and Mike's enthusiasm for a superior coffee experience. “Trying 3-19 coffee was love at first taste,” said Jean Grant.
Partnering with the IRC was an easy decision for 3-19, as international social justice is close to Vehar’s heart: he worked in development in Latin America for several years before entering the coffee business, learning directly from local farmers and studying Spanish. “I think what the IRC does is incredible and so important, and to be able to help you guys raise some money –– and to do it in an ethical way by being an ethically responsible coffee roaster –– I think it's a win-win for everyone,” says Vehar.
Wanting to get involved right away, 3-19 Coffee donated coffee to the IRC auction last month that turned out to be a very popular item. Vehar shared, “the stories are just so inspiring of what people were willing to put themselves through just to get here...these are honorable people taking a great risk…and they need legal help. I’m ecstatic that there are people in organizations like the IRC that are doing the best that they can to help.”
For both 3-19 and the IRC, our work is personal and powerful. We do what we do for the sake of justice, community, and love.
Vehar says, “Everybody's just a human being, you know? I have two daughters and I’d do anything for them to make their lives better. People are coming to the U.S. to seek out a better life for their families...just like you and me. People who come into our country need to be treated as the human beings that we are. That’s the most fundamental thing.”
And we agree!