For many people, a morning cup of coffee or coffee-based treat is practically an essential, or at least a routine they look forward to each day. Now, that daily coffee can help a child find a forever home through the blessing of adoption, thanks to a new Branson-based company, Forever Home Roast.
Forever Home Roast is the result of a passion for helping people with the expenses of adoption, shared by founders Matt Grindstaff and Jerry Sanderson. Matt, who serves on staff at Elevate Branson and is familiar with many types of family needs through that ministry, shared that he and his wife initially were unable to have children, so they explored adoption and learned how expensive it was. Although eventually able to have a biological daughter, they could not shake the feeling of urgency regarding families who longed to adopt but found the process cost-prohibitive, as expenses for legal fees, travel to meet children and bring them home, and more, can add up to thousands of dollars.
Jerry’s story is similar; after two biological children, he and his wife adopted from the foster system, which is less expensive but can still involve significant costs, including indirect ones such as home modifications or a larger vehicle, particularly if special needs children are involved. Jerry has since been active in leadership of area church ministries helping support families who wish to foster and/or adopt.
A conservative estimate is that over 120,000 U.S. children are waiting to be adopted in a given year; the number swells to over 160 million worldwide. Those figures do not even start to reflect the number of abortions that might be prevented with better adoption information to birth moms and financial assistance to the many couples—some sources estimate over 20 million—wanting to adopt.
Forever Home Roast offers high-end specialty coffees, small-batch roasted and blended right here in the Branson area Ozarks from responsibly sourced coffee beans. At least 10% of each sale and up to 50% of net profits go to support organizations that facilitate adoptions, or directly to families hoping and planning to adopt. Locally, shoppers can browse the selection at Rhodes Family Price Chopper on 76 Country Blvd. in Branson, or at Mix ‘N’ Save, in the Branson Meadows center on Gretna Rd.
Representatives at both stores said they believe in the importance of adoption and are happy to help by providing space for the products. “We’re a family-oriented company,” said Matt Young of Price Chopper, who has family members that have adopted children from foster care. “We are glad to have them here and excited to help them launch, and hopefully grow, this great program.”
Shoppers can also make their selection online at https://www.foreverhomeroast.com, for either single purchases or subscriptions; a system is also in process that will allow individual families to create a code for their own personal adoption fundraiser and share the link. You can also read some beautiful and moving adoption stories in the blog section of the site.
Not everyone can adopt, but we can all do something to support those who do; and enjoying a cup of coffee is a simple way to help. Matt and Jerry invite you to share in their commitment to James 1:27 in the Bible, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress. . . ”
For more information, use the contact form on the website or email info@foreverhomeroast.com.