Serve Equal Exchange at Coffee Hour
You believe in paying fair prices to the farmers who produce your food. You support organic agriculture and sustainability. You want to contribute to an independent and transparent food system, but how do you kick off serving Equal Exchange at your fellowship hour?
1. Introduce the Idea
You can plan a short presentation using a combination of talking points and one of the videos below. If a presentation sounds too formal, have a conversation with a decision-maker in your group or send them an email explaining why fair trade matters to you.
Also, having some Equal Exchange coffee or chocolate on hand for sampling helps everyone experience how delicious the products are while they learn about the mission behind them.
You can talk about how, by serving Equal Exchange coffee at your gatherings, you will gain:
a way to express your values while enjoying coffee together
a direct and positive impact on farming families and forest areas all around the world
delicious organic and fairly traded products at affordable pricing
You can also print and keep handy stories from other fair trade program organizers who champion the use of Equal Exchange products, or our FAQ: Why Switch to Fair Trade, Organic Coffee?
Feeling intimidated? Get in touch with us at interfaithreps@equalexchange.coop and invite us to present to your congregation. We’re happy to answer any questions about Equal Exchange.
2. Choose Your Coffee
Equal Exchange offers congregations and community groups a convenient, affordable way to serve coffee that’s aligned with their values and promotes justice. Our organic coffee is grown with care and expertly roasted by our team. Here’s a guide to help you choose which Equal Exchange coffee to serve to your group.
Percolator Brewing
Our Fellowship Blend is a great choice if you brew coffee in a percolator. This blend features our high-quality coffee beans, ground coarse to bring out the best flavor when brewed in a percolator.
Drip brewing
If you have a pour-over or auto-drip brewer, you have options:
Our Pillow Packs are ground and portioned to suit a 12–cup drip brewer and are a good choice if people in your congregation take turns making coffee. They are available in multiple sizes, depending on your preferred coffee strength.
Our wide selection of 10oz and 12oz bags of packaged coffee are great if your congregation likes a little more variety in their fellowship hour cup. Coffee varieties range from dark to light, and from decaf to flavored.
Wondering about whole beans? If you like to grind your beans fresh, have access to a grinder, and want to use less packaging, check out our 5lb bags of whole bean coffee.
3. Order Your Coffee!
Ready to order your coffee and kick off or reenergize your fellowship hour? Great! Shop online or call your order in to our team at (774) 776-7366.
We recommend leaving at least 10 business days between the time you order and when you can expect delivery of your Equal Exchange coffee!
4. Brew Your Coffee & Build Community!
Now is the moment you’ve been waiting for! Brew your Equal Exchange coffee, set up your table, and welcome your congregation to enjoy a fresh cup that supports organic agriculture and small farmers all over the world.
A few things to remember
Each method of brewing has its own considerations to take into account for making the best cup of coffee. Print out these step-by-step brewing instructions and keep them by your prep station to ensure a good cup every time.
Consistency builds community. People want to count on their coffee hour and make it a part of their weekly routine. Try to build out and stick with a schedule so your fellowship hour can thrive.
Consider including some of our educational materials to remind people why serving and enjoying Equal Exchange makes a difference.
Posters and stickers (simply add to your coffee order)
