Labor Day and Linking Together To End Extreme Poverty

I remember so vividly the summer of 2007. I had recently watched my mom leave this world to be with Jesus and had been laboring together with a number of friends to start a coffee shop in downtown Morgantown during a time when ideas like "fair-trade" were just starting to get traction in the US. I was leading out the college and young professionals ministry at Chestnut Ridge Church and had just finished my Master's degree in English at WVU. My friend John Hancox and I had chatted a couple of times about our own passions for social justice and the many great tragedies our generation was witnessing in the world, along with what another mutual friend, Jake Harriman, had been doing since he left the Marine Corps. Jake and I were starting to talk as well, although we were literally about a half-a-world apart. He was doing an internship with an organization called One Acre Fund in southwestern Kenya.

Jake and I had not been in as frequent contact after our undergraduate years, but through technologies like g-chat and Skype, we began to reconnect. He shared a blog he had started to capture some of his experiences in Kenya, and sent a business plan for an idea he had to make a significant impact in fighting extreme poverty called Nuru International. The business plan was the culmination of work of  several of his classmates, professors, and friends at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. 

During our undergraduate days, there was was a group of us dreaming big dreams about changing the world--the group was much larger than Jake, John, and myself, and amazingly we had all stayed in touch by varying degrees. We had moved forward in our various career paths with passion and a deep desire to make our lives count.  

Jake and I had committed to meeting up on Labor Day 2007, to talk in more detail about Nuru, and how it might make sense to work together. We discussed different movements we had grown to appreciate like Invisible Children and ONE, and how they were helping generations move forward in fresh ways to make a difference in the world. We had originally committed to meeting for about an hour, but we ended up meeting all day. Jake, John, and I drove from Morgantown to Hancock Maryland to meet with another board member to discuss the process of taking this idea and making it viable by legally registering as a nonprofit. The day was filled with laughter, dedicated thinking, and meaningful conversation. It was a wonderful reunion among like-minded friends looking to work together to do their part to make the world a better place. 

And now, nine years later, many of the ideas discussed back then have moved from abstract concepts to concrete realities. Nuru is no longer just an idea, but an organization filled with dedicated and hard working individuals from around the world who are passionate about seeing the end of extreme poverty. Together, with the support of thousands of supporters in the US and abroad, we have been able to see literally thousands of households in Kenya and Ethiopia take tangible steps to begin lifting themselves out of extreme poverty permanently. When I think back on what has been accomplished, I am filled with joy, and when I look forward I am thrilled about the potential legacy for my soon to arrive child--if we can keep moving forward and building momentum, together, we will see the end of extreme poverty, and a brighter world for everyone!

May we never forget to pause and reflect as we move forward to make the world safer and brighter for everyone!

Jay’s Daily Grind: Morgantown, WV

From time to time I like to write a review of a place where I’ve visited in my travels, enjoyed a good meal, or a cool experience. I recently realized that I don’t often write about some of my favorite local spots though. In some ways I just imagine that everybody already knows about these cool spots, but maybe I am wrong. Or I just think that I may never be able to share all of the great places I enjoy locally.

Either way, I want to tell you about a cool little coffee and sandwich shop in downtown Morgantown called Jay’s Daily Grind. They have a very simple website and they don’t have long hours. But, what they do have is some of the best coffee and espresso drinks I’ve had anywhere, an extremely dedicated and passionate staff, and a simple yet highly delicious menu.

I’ve personally made Jay’s part of my routine when I am looking for a location where I can write, think, talk, and engage in aspects of work that do not require me to be online. Jay’s shop doesn’t have wifi, and personally, I really like that aspect of the place. This little coffee shop has been present in Morgantown since the early 90s, and is definitely a local favorite.  Many university English professors choose to have conferences with students inside the shop, and it’s also a popular stopping point for a morning cup of coffee for workers who commute on foot to the university.

They specialize in the basics for folks on the go, and if you happen to purchase one of their delicious sandwiches to go, it comes in a brown paper bag (complete with chips and a pickle) and not some #2 plastic.

Beyond the quality of the food, the staff at Jay’s typically know their customers’ name by the second time they visit, and for their regulars, they know the beverage or food of choice as well.

Jay’s is a great place for food, coffee, and conversation, so if you are passing through Morgantown, or looking to try a new locale, check them out. They are just off campus downtown on Willey St. across from White Hall. And who knows, maybe I will see you there too!