Local coffee shop pours into community

VERNON — The Daily Bean will be known to many families this Christmas season for more than just their coffee, but for their dedication to their community as well.
This Christmas, The Daily Bean sponsored My Brother’s Place (MBP) Giving Tree where customers could select a tag from the tree as they left the coffee shop to provide a local child a want, a need, and read who would otherwise not have a gift for Christmas this year.
My Brother’s Place, a local, faith-based, nonprofit organization that helps families facing eviction, homelessness, or severe financial upset organizes a Christmas gift drive each year. To help families during the holiday season, donations of food items, grocery store gift cards, and gifts for the children are collected.
“This year, we were truly blown away with the outpouring of support from our community. I was thrilled that The Daily Bean owner, Gina (Dobrownolski), reached out to us about hosting our giving tree because so many would be able to get involved and see the needs that are right here in our community,” said Doreen Baxter, Founder and Vice-President of My Brother’s Place.
“Because of The Daily Bean and their customers, 49 children from 30 different families were provided gifts for Christmas, and parents received grocery store gift cards to alleviate a bit of their financial stress,” Baxter added.
In addition to providing gifts for the children that MBP works with, members of Highlands Bible Church (Vernon) and Green Pond Bible Chapel (Newfoundland) provided food for traditional Christmas meals that My Brother’s Place delivered to feed more than 100 people.
“Our community went above and beyond our initial requests and provided our families so much more. After the gifts and meals were delivered this week, many families called me in tears, overwhelmed with gratitude because of the gifts they received,” Baxter said. “We are so grateful,” she added.