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There will be a large number of overseas United States service members drinking good coffee over the coming few months, thanks to local churches who have donated to Holy Joe's Café.
Tom Jastermsky, Founder and Executive Director of Holy Joe's is happy to report that due to the generosity of the many SNEUCC churches that are supporting his cause, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command Chaplains based in Germany got a boost to their coffee supply in September when they received sixteen pallets of donated coffee for distribution throughout Germany and forward operating sites in Poland as well in Romania.
“From what I hear from the chaplains we support, military coffee is not very good, so the coffee we send is a welcome enjoyment,” said Jastermsky. “But it’s more than a cup of coffee and being in the service and experiencing the loneliness of being away from home and family and the anxiety of facing danger every day, can take a toll on people. The simple act of providing a fresh, warm cup of coffee to soldiers gives chaplains a comforting way to reach out to troops and often initiates conversations that might not have occurred in the regular daily routine. It’s a great way to give these troops an opportunity to talk, share concerns, and get guidance that can help keep them mentally and spiritually healthier in their work.” Jastermsky started Holy Joe's at his church, First Church of Wallingford (CT), back in 2006 as a ministry outreach and it has grown to become it's own 501c3 Non-Profit in 2017. We have written about this nonprofit organization and the coffee sent to military chaplains to help them make connections with active-duty military personnel since the beginning. Our most recent article discussed the urgent increase in the need for coffee and support in response to the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Holy Joe's regularly provides coffee to hundreds of chaplains at bases around the world, but, of course, changes in deployment require logistical plans to move coffee where it is needed.
Jastermsky estimates that this latest shipment tops off the two billion cups of coffee that Holy Joe’s have served to U.S. Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, Special Forces and the Coast Guard since they began in 2006.
And the UCC churches have a long history of supporting them. More information on how to assist with this ministry can be found on the Holy Joe's Café website.
Tom Jastermsky, Founder and Executive Director of Holy Joe's is happy to report that due to the generosity of the many SNEUCC churches that are supporting his cause, the 21st Theater Sustainment Command Chaplains based in Germany got a boost to their coffee supply in September when they received sixteen pallets of donated coffee for distribution throughout Germany and forward operating sites in Poland as well in Romania.
“From what I hear from the chaplains we support, military coffee is not very good, so the coffee we send is a welcome enjoyment,” said Jastermsky. “But it’s more than a cup of coffee and being in the service and experiencing the loneliness of being away from home and family and the anxiety of facing danger every day, can take a toll on people. The simple act of providing a fresh, warm cup of coffee to soldiers gives chaplains a comforting way to reach out to troops and often initiates conversations that might not have occurred in the regular daily routine. It’s a great way to give these troops an opportunity to talk, share concerns, and get guidance that can help keep them mentally and spiritually healthier in their work.” Jastermsky started Holy Joe's at his church, First Church of Wallingford (CT), back in 2006 as a ministry outreach and it has grown to become it's own 501c3 Non-Profit in 2017. We have written about this nonprofit organization and the coffee sent to military chaplains to help them make connections with active-duty military personnel since the beginning. Our most recent article discussed the urgent increase in the need for coffee and support in response to the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Holy Joe's regularly provides coffee to hundreds of chaplains at bases around the world, but, of course, changes in deployment require logistical plans to move coffee where it is needed.
Jastermsky estimates that this latest shipment tops off the two billion cups of coffee that Holy Joe’s have served to U.S. Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, Special Forces and the Coast Guard since they began in 2006.
And the UCC churches have a long history of supporting them. More information on how to assist with this ministry can be found on the Holy Joe's Café website.
More Conference Stories About Holy Joe's Café:
Holy Joe's Cafe Sees Greater Need Due to Russia–Ukraine Conflict (2022)
Holy Joe's Cafe: 15 Years and Growing (2021)
Holy Joe's Café: 10 Years and Still Serving Soldiers (2016)
Holy Joe's Thrives on New Donations (2011)
Holy Joe's Cafe: A Coffee Ministry (2008)
More stories on the Holy Joe's Press page
Author
Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane
Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane writes news articles for the SNEUCC website. She is also the editor of the Starting With Scripture newsletter. Contact her if: Your church has a great story to tell about an innovative ministry. You have a prayer request to ...