Here's a little about the story behind Uphill Coffee:

Hi! We are Kim and John, two Licensed Clinical Social Workers who’ve been married 12 years and have 4 amazing children (ages 10, 8, 7, and 4.) In 2019, it became clear that we wanted our lives to go in a different direction, one in which our work aligned more closely with our personal strengths, interests, life philosophy, and what brought us joy! All ideas were on the table… we considered everything from moving our family to Costa Rica to live on a coffee farm, to traveling the US in an RV, to building a tiny house and starting a non-profit where we lived at the time. Mid-life crisis, maybe? Lol. We truly felt God was leading us in a different direction.

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As time unfolded and our patience waned, an unexpected door divinely opened at City of Refuge Dalton. So, in the spring of 2020, we sold our home and leapt into this adventure. We now live in a 600 square foot apartment (yes, with our four children!) and work with youth in our community. We are creating a workforce development program in which Uphill Coffee will be the vehicle. Our mission is to take youth (maybe just interested in making extra cash) and provide them with the skills, knowledge, experience, and resources to become responsible, healthy, and conscientious employees and community members. We hope they will eventually work their way to promotions, management positions, colleges, or even businesses of their own.

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For us, the key to making this happen is WELLNESS. Many kids get jobs out of necessity, but are dealing with factors (grief, anxiety, health issues, homelessness, social stressors, etc.) that stand as obstacles to success. At Uphill Coffee, we believe that our overall wellness is vital and impacts how successful we are at handling life’s challenges. So not only will Uphill Coffee be teaching youth workplace etiquette, habits, and skills…we will also be looking at each student’s wellness in 8 areas: Social, Physical, Environmental, Intellectual, Spiritual, Financial, Occupational, and Emotional. While teaching job skills, we’ll also mentor students, identify their strengths and needs, challenge and encourage them, and link them with resources to help them meet their wellness goals.

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At Uphill Coffee, we also care about the wellness of our community, and want to increase awareness as far as we can reach. We are planning fun social events (like Open Mic Nights) and educational events- all to support the different wellness domains. We have a lot in store for you! We hope you’ll join us, be challenged, and learn alongside us. We believe in teamwork, so we’d love your help and support- just send us an email at uphillcoffee@cityofrefugedalton.org.

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Uphill Coffee and the corresponding youth wellness and workforce development programs function through City of Refuge Dalton, a non-profit organization.  We are funded in part through donations and gifts from individuals and organizations like you. If Uphill's mission and youth programs appeal to your values, interests, and heart, we would be honored if you would consider starting a monthly partnership or making a one-time donation to help resource staff salaries and expenses for program implementation.