Here in Pasadena we’re fortunate to have a few local businesses that care about social justice, and it’s a joy to support them.
Our economy is failing us because the system doesn’t reflect the TRUE value of Earth and all its resources. Big Oil and Big Corporations plunder the planet’s resources and burn through every last drop of oil and gas on Earth. Production creates enormous profit for the wealthiest while generating goods destined for landfills that pollute our land, air, oceans and rivers. As local dollars rush to offshore banks, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer putting the most vulnerable even more at-risk, and our systems of government fail to protect them.
One local business making a difference is Rosebud Cafe, whose motto is “Coffee with a Cause.” They do great work providing barista training and jobs for homeless and at-risk youth in Pasadena. Here's an article published on Teen Vogue highlighting a success story: This California Café is Training Homeless Teens and Finding Them Housing
Rosebud Cafe even hosts a monthly event where youth can improve their standup comedy routines: Caffeine & Cackles: The Clean Open Mic. Notably, Wild Goose Coffee Roaster in Redlands, supplies the responsibly-sourced coffee to Rosebud with a unique promise to donate 10 lbs of food to a local food bank for every pound of coffee purchased. Their slogan is “Better communities through better coffee.” Food goods are supplied to Rosebud Cafe by Hope Cafe whose mission is to extend hope to those who have been outcast or overlooked, to those in need, and to encourage clients to do the same.
It is a privilege to support a local business that invests in the community and whose business model provides one solution to the homeless youth crisis, making our city and the world a better place. The visionary manager of Rosebud is also committed to sustainability and determined to reduce plastic waste at the cafe, an initiative perfectly in sync with Transition Pasadena's Green Circle project.
Rosebud claims to have "an amazing cup of coffee.” We wholeheartedly attest to the truth in that statement! The love that nurtures this cafe community makes every amazing cup even more satisfying. Give it a try.
------Therese Brummel