Heretic Coffee Co. Raises Over $184,000 For People Losing SNAP Benefits
If you leave Reed through the west exit, near the RCAs and 28 West, and turn right onto SE 28th Ave, then walk a block north, you will make your way to a small coffee shop tucked into a small parking lot right underneath an apartment building. Many Reed students know this place well, as the volunteer-run Heretic Coffee Co., which is open from 8am to 2pm on weekdays and from 9:30am to 2pm on weekends, serving a good handful of coffee options and breakfast burritos. Among the forest of cafes in Portland, it has stood out for making the news cycles for allowing customers losing their SNAP benefits to eat for free. This opportunity comes in the wake of the government shutdown in Washington D.C., which has caused the Department of Agriculture to warn SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients that, come November, there will not be enough funding allocated to refill SNAP cards. After opening a link for donations, the shop raised over $184,000, as of Wednesday, to help feed people losing SNAP benefits.
“This is a global movement of humanity feeding Portland people,” said Josh White, the owner of Heretic Coffee Co., in an interview with the Oregonian. White went on to explain that the funding came not from a few large donors, but from many small donors from around the world, even as far as West Africa and Australia. “These aren’t people giving $1000,” says White, “I saw one this morning for $1.17. That is someone who only has $1.17 to give.” While the story has been largely covered by local Oregon news outlets, it also got picked up by independent Tennessee-based “good news” media company Good Good Good.
Walking into Heretic on Tuesday morning was a unique experience, as the once-quiet coffee shop had a line of customers to the door, some of whom were eager to donate, and some of whom were SNAP recipients happy to get a free meal. Despite this influx of customers, the small Heretic staff seemed delighted to adapt and work hard to bring the Portland community together. “I’m sorry, we’re actually out of dairy milk. This has never happened before,” said a barista, just before another Heretic volunteer walked through the door carrying three gallons of milk in their hands.
In a now-viral Threads post, the company stated, “If you are losing your SNAP benefits and are unsure how to feed your family, then breakfast is on us. No proof needed. No questions asked. Just ask us for the ‘SNAP Breakfast,’ and our baristas will know what to do, and will take care of you.” While some users expressed doubt that the company would be able to sustain itself financially, with one user commenting “Sorry, but you will be bankrupt in a week,” the company has stood strong in its promise, replying, “Much rather go bankrupt feeding our people than selling coffee while other families starve.” A different user commented, “I've seen such kindness and goodness from individuals and businesses here in Portland. I'm one of the hundreds of thousands of Oregonians not getting my SNAP next month. Anything and everything helps.”
“There’s this… cultural embarrassment that comes with being on a SNAP program, and so we try to remove that all the way… you are treated just like every other person who comes in here,” said White. “Portland, we’ll keep you fed for as long as we possibly can,” said the shop on social media.
Heretic Coffee Co. isn’t the only nonprofit Portland coffee place near Reed offering a free bite to people who have lost their SNAP benefits. In a post on Wednesday evening, the Deaf and disability run nonprofit cafe Woodstock Cafe said, “If you’ve lost your SNAP, have a meal on us. No proof. No questions. Just care.” The cafe noted that “Woodstock Café isn’t a regular café. We’re a Deaf and disability run nonprofit in Portland that hires, trains, and feeds our community. And right now, every system that’s supposed to support us is crumbling workforce grants gone, education access cut, and now SNAP stripped from the very people we serve and employ.”
“We’re doing this because our Deaf and disabled fam is getting rocked,” wrote Woodstock Cafe. Woodstock Cafe isn’t “backed by corporations or cushy grants,” and “every single sandwich, latte, and paycheck comes from folks walking through our door.”
Heretic takes and trains volunteers, and has a Google form for locals looking to help out. This and the link to donate are available in the online edition of this article. You can also donate to CymaSpace, the nonprofit that runs Woodstock Cafe in a link on their website.
