At Current Coffee, we believe that coffee is more than just a beverage—it’s a vehicle for connection, conversation, and care.

That’s why we’re launching Coffee For Good, a new project that uses our platform to raise money and awareness for the people and institutions that make Iowa a place we’re proud to call home.

We believe that anyone working in coffee—especially on the shop side—has a responsibility to invest in their community. The coffee industry, at every point in its supply chain, is tied to complex histories of colonization, exploitation, and profit over people. We can’t ignore that. But we can use the tools we have—like our voice, our platforms, and our customers’ trust—to show up for something better.

 Coffee has a long legacy as a space for activism and social engagement. In fact, 17th- and 18th-century coffeehouses were so central to public discourse that they were sometimes seen as dangerous. Rulers in the Ottoman Empire and parts of Europe banned them outright for fear that the conversations happening there might challenge the status quo or threaten power structures.¹ We’re not claiming to start a revolution—but we do think there’s power in gathering, sharing ideas, and using whatever platform we have to support meaningful causes.

Our first Coffee For Good campaign is focused on public media—specifically, Iowa Public Radio and Iowa PBS. Both organizations recently lost federal funding as Congress repealed appropriations it had previously granted, putting trusted journalism, children’s programming, and community storytelling at risk. Public media has always played a vital role in keeping people connected—especially in rural states like Iowa, where access to reliable news and educational resources isn’t always guaranteed.

From FDR’s fireside chats, which helped calm a nation through the Great Depression and World War II,² to Big Bird helping us learn our ABCs,³ public media has long been part of the American story. Here in Iowa, it's often how we learn about our neighbors, our government, our farmers, our artists—it's how we stay in conversation with one another, even across great distances.⁴

To support that mission, we’ve teamed up with the brilliant folks at The Side Garage, who led all of the design work for this campaign. Together, we’ve created a limited-edition Comfort Colors pocket t-shirt and a cotton canvas tote that help raise both funds and visibility for public media in Iowa.

100% of proceeds will be split evenly between Iowa Public Radio and Iowa PBS.

We hope this is just the beginning. Coffee For Good will continue with future campaigns focused on other community institutions that make Iowa stronger, smarter, and more connected. Thanks for being part of it.

Sources:
¹ Ellis, Markman. The Coffee House: A Cultural History. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004.
² Roosevelt, Franklin D. "Fireside Chats." National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/fireside-chats
³ “Sesame Street History.” Sesame Workshop. https://www.sesameworkshop.org/what-we-do/shows/sesame-street
⁴ “Public Media’s Role in Rural Communities.” Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 2020. https://www.cpb.org/reports/Public-Media-Rural

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