One year ago today, we started the SNAP Breakfast Program.
365 days. A full year. Some days it feels like we started yesterday; other days it feels like we've been doing this forever. Since October 27th, we've had the opportunity to hand out more than 13,000 free meals and over 15,000 lattes, cappuccinos, and hot coffees.
Heretic has also become something else: a safe, welcoming place to catch your breath. Many of our SNAP Breakfast friends come in to rest, fill out job applications on our wifi, or escape the heat, rain , and cold for a few hours. The most magical part is this: they sit right alongside our paying customers, sharing tables, starting conversations, and getting to know each other.
On any given day, someone who has never experienced homelessness is sitting next to someone carrying everything they own. Once you walk through our doors, everyone is given the amount of dignity, care, and love. Or, as we like to say here: everyone is worthy of a latte.
The heroes of this story are our volunteer baristas. Every week, they come in for a four-hour shift and spend it crafting specialty lattes for our SNAP community. There is no joke in saying, there has been blood, sweat, and tears in this small cafe. They continue to blow us away with their love and care for our community. And, the most requested drink this year was our Lavender Oat Latte. 🙂
Then there's our Kitchen Crew (better known as the Burrito Brigade), who spend their Mondays in our kitchen cooking up a storm for that week's free meals. True story: the person who left the first comment saying we open up a donation link for the SNAP breakfast is now one our kitchen volunteers!
And finally, there's you. You made every one of those 13,000 meals & 15,000 coffees possible. Beyond that, you helped us donate more than $220,000 to other food organizations, keeping thousands more people fed.
In 2027, we expect to feed more than 20,000 people. Our daily meal numbers have been climbing over the past few months, and we see 2027 as a year to dig in: to keep feeding people, and to keep Heretic a warm, safe, welcoming place for everyone who walks through our doors.
Year one is in the books. Here's to year two, and thank you for being part of it.
