christmas tree A Cup of Common WealthWhere a string of robberies in local shops might have made Lexington, Kentucky a more sad place, one coffee shop has conjured up a few pay-it-forward Christmas miracles.

After thieves broke into A Cup of Common Wealth, the coffee shop’s owners were blown away by the huge outpouring from their community.

“They came out in full force and showed us so much love and support that we weren’t focused at all on what happened, just on what we were a part of,” said owners, Salvador Sanchez and Chris Ortiz, in an email to the Good News Network.

Reports of more robberies in local shops inspired them to rally the community.

They urged their own customers to spend money in those affected businesses, pledging any free drink to whoever buys a book from the Morris Book Shop, art at The Collective, or a haircut at Hair Razors.

”We wanted to share the same love and support we received,” they explained.

They also felt sorry for the people who were desperate enough to turn to robbery during the holiday season, so the pair started a Community Christmas Tree for the less fortunate. Gifts are being dropped off and left for anyone to take. Within three days a youth left the store with a new bicycle that one of the coffee customers dropped off.

“We’re gonna need another tree,” they shouted on Istagram with a photo of their tiny tree. “Gifts continually pouring in by the arm full!”

“Bikes, scooters, things for pets, toys for kids, things for adults, and even a big pack of beer for anyone 21 or over from a coffee drinker who is a brewer here in town,” they said.

boy with bike A CUP OF COMMON WEALTH

“A group came in over the weekend on their way to the Children’s Hospital and we were able to pack their arms full of gifts to take down with them.”

This story of a crime spree leading to so much goodwill has captured media attention and a headline on Yahoo News, but all the national publicity doesn’t change the modest and humble attitude at A Cup of Common Wealth, which opened their store in July.

“It’s definitely our community more so than us making the difference,” they told Good News Network. “We really are just facilitating all the wonderful things they are willing to do for each other. Lexington is the real story here.”

Sal and Chris summed the matter up with another great photo on Instagram: “We all go through life together, and sometimes that means picking up the pieces together when things go wrong.”

Christmas community giving-ACupOfCommonWealth

Leave a Reply