thedrifter
02-23-07, 05:09 PM
Care for troops brews a few bucks at a time
Tips at Mattawan coffee shop keep goodies flowing overeas to American soldiers
Friday, February 23, 2007
By Chris Killian
Special to the Gazette
MATTAWAN -- When her customers said they wanted Tina Munoz-Miner to put a tip jar near the cash register at her coffee shop, she obliged.
But not a penny has made its way from the jar into her or her employees' pockets.
For dropping change into the jar, patrons at Java Joint in Mattawan help bring a little bit of the feeling of home to Michigan soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Those donations have added up to nearly $2,000 over the past few years, which Munoz-Miner uses to assemble care packages of candies, crackers, moist towelettes and, of course, fresh ground coffee.
``It's my way of telling them I appreciate what they are doing,'' the Java Joint owner said. ``We all like getting gifts, but to them, this is a lot more than a gift. We're giving them a piece of home.''
The coffee isn't the typical stuff you'd find in a grocery store canister. These beans have a Michigan connection. With flavors like Mackinaw Island Fudge and Traverse City Cherry, Munoz-Miner makes sure to give soldiers a taste of their home state.
She gets the names of the soldiers to get the care packages from community members serving in the military. Munoz-Miner knows firsthand what it means to have a loved one serving overseas. Her son Joshua Miner recently returned home to his base at Fort Sill, Okla., after being deployed with the Army in South Korea.
On a recent afternoon, the jar at Java Joint was half-full of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. But it's not uncommon for customers to stuff a $5 bill or more in the jar, Munoz-Miner said.
Next to the jar, taped to the wall, is a letter dated Feb. 3 from Maj. Brad Magrath, who serves in the U.S. Marines Medium Helicopter Squadron 364. In it, he thanks Munoz-Miner for her efforts -- and especially the coffee.
``That letter has brought many to tears,'' she said. ``It humanizes the soldiers for a lot of people. I hope we help enough soldiers to line the wall with letters like that.''
That same afternoon, Tari Timmer, of Kalamazoo, sat near the counter, flipping through a copy of Rolling Stone magazine and sipping coffee. Like many in this small town west of Kalamazoo, Timmer has dropped money into the jar several times.
``I'm just doing my thing to let a soldier know that I care,'' she said.
Munoz-Miner says she'll continue sending care packages as long as her Java Joint is there, whether the nation is at war or not.
``We owe these soldiers so much,'' she said. ``This is the least I can do.''
Ellie
Tips at Mattawan coffee shop keep goodies flowing overeas to American soldiers
Friday, February 23, 2007
By Chris Killian
Special to the Gazette
MATTAWAN -- When her customers said they wanted Tina Munoz-Miner to put a tip jar near the cash register at her coffee shop, she obliged.
But not a penny has made its way from the jar into her or her employees' pockets.
For dropping change into the jar, patrons at Java Joint in Mattawan help bring a little bit of the feeling of home to Michigan soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Those donations have added up to nearly $2,000 over the past few years, which Munoz-Miner uses to assemble care packages of candies, crackers, moist towelettes and, of course, fresh ground coffee.
``It's my way of telling them I appreciate what they are doing,'' the Java Joint owner said. ``We all like getting gifts, but to them, this is a lot more than a gift. We're giving them a piece of home.''
The coffee isn't the typical stuff you'd find in a grocery store canister. These beans have a Michigan connection. With flavors like Mackinaw Island Fudge and Traverse City Cherry, Munoz-Miner makes sure to give soldiers a taste of their home state.
She gets the names of the soldiers to get the care packages from community members serving in the military. Munoz-Miner knows firsthand what it means to have a loved one serving overseas. Her son Joshua Miner recently returned home to his base at Fort Sill, Okla., after being deployed with the Army in South Korea.
On a recent afternoon, the jar at Java Joint was half-full of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. But it's not uncommon for customers to stuff a $5 bill or more in the jar, Munoz-Miner said.
Next to the jar, taped to the wall, is a letter dated Feb. 3 from Maj. Brad Magrath, who serves in the U.S. Marines Medium Helicopter Squadron 364. In it, he thanks Munoz-Miner for her efforts -- and especially the coffee.
``That letter has brought many to tears,'' she said. ``It humanizes the soldiers for a lot of people. I hope we help enough soldiers to line the wall with letters like that.''
That same afternoon, Tari Timmer, of Kalamazoo, sat near the counter, flipping through a copy of Rolling Stone magazine and sipping coffee. Like many in this small town west of Kalamazoo, Timmer has dropped money into the jar several times.
``I'm just doing my thing to let a soldier know that I care,'' she said.
Munoz-Miner says she'll continue sending care packages as long as her Java Joint is there, whether the nation is at war or not.
``We owe these soldiers so much,'' she said. ``This is the least I can do.''
Ellie