SAN DIEGO — "Great coffee, greater cause"-- that's Talitha Coffee's motto.
What makes this coffee company different? Talitha supports survivors of sex trafficking by providing jobs, employment training and holistic support.
It all started with the founder, Jenny Barber, who decided something needed to be done.
"I was exposed to the issue of trafficking from a really young age and I'm actually a CSEC survivor myself," Barber said. "And so as I grew up I just had this deep desire to do something to make a difference."
That's why Talitha focuses on supporting survivors of sex trafficking as they reenter society.
"We really focus on things like workforce readiness, and providing a safe place for them to develop life skills. This is a place where all of our staff are trauma informed, and they can come and just learn what it's like to have a job and really develop their skills," Barber said.
And it's not just Barber, a whole team is bringing the mission to life. A number of Talitha team members left their jobs working in alcohol, coffee and marketing to join Jenny in her mission.
"I truly believe everybody loves that there is a mission to the company, but they love their job," Jake Jiron head of sales said. "They care about more about the bigger picture, the betterment of the company and then the betterment of the impact on these survivors."
"Being on a team with people who are all working towards the same vision and mission it's been really inspiring and a lot more fun," Talitha CEO Mike Glanz said.
"We have an amazing team that really cares about things like quality and the company purpose," Greg Peters, vice president of operations said.
But why coffee? The team said coffee is something everyone loves and it's a great way to reach people. Plus, they make a great cup of coffee.
"Coffee is something that brings people together. It's a beautiful culture, right?" Barber said.
So by providing jobs in wholesale coffee and supporting survivors, this dream team is making a difference one cup at a time.
"We're not coming in and trying to be the heroes or you know say we're saving the day, but we really put that on the survivors. The survivors are the heroes of the story, right? They're the ones who had the courage to take a step and to rebuild their lives," Barber said.
"The little wins provide us hope that we're doing the right thing and that we'll make a difference in the long run," Glanz said.
Talitha doesn't have a cafe in San Diego yet, but you can buy beans, support the cause and find out more on their website.
There are also a number of places in San Diego that serve Talitha Coffee:
- Archer's Arrow Coffee House - 170 Main St, Vista, CA 92084
- Asa Bakery - 634 14th St #110, San Diego, CA 92101
- Beach Plum Kitchen - 6971 El Camino Real #201, Carlsbad, CA 92009
- Blue Mug Coffee & Tea - 1882 W El Norte Pkwy, Escondido, CA 92026
- The Fish Market San Diego - 750 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92101
- Hob Nob Hill - 2271 First Ave., San Diego, CA 92101
- Jimbo's Naturally - 12841 El Camino Real Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92130
- Lemon Grove Coffee - 7801 Broadway, Lemon Grove, CA 91945
- NINE-TEN Restaurant & Bar - 910 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Sunday Breakfast Society - 2326 Proctor Valley Rd Suite 103, Chula Vista, CA 91914
- Working Class - 4095 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104
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