Holy Joe’s donates over 300,000 coffee pods to JBLM troops

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Holy Joe’s Cafe delivered a donation of over 300,000 single-serve coffee pods to JBLM on June 9, 2022.

America's First Corps religious affairs office coordinated the donation and delivery was made through CFI trucking company, who actively supports U.S. troops through a number of company initiatives, including delivering coffee donations for Holy Joe’s.

Religious affairs specialists from across the base came to help unload the sizeable shipment, including enlisted soldiers from I Corps, JBLM Garrison and others, according to Army Staff Sgt. Calvin Carter, an I Corps religious affairs specialist who oversaw and coordinated the delivery.

"Holy Joe's has been supporting the troops for many years,” Carter said. “The coffee was donated to the chaplain's section so we could distribute it throughout the post to support the soldiers."

Carter presented the delivery driver, Ariel Bargas, with an I Corps challenge coin as a token of thanks from the soldiers for delivering the shipment.

Army Col. Andrew Lawrence, command chaplain of I Corps, said he and his soldiers were thankful for the coffee, as it would contribute to helping the chaplains accomplish their mission of creating a sense of community and connection within the military.

“To sit, sip and exchange ideas or engage in conversation are at the heart of what we as military chaplains do and coffee is often a vehicle for engagement,” Lawrence said in an emailed statement. “The work of Holy Joe’s continues to make this possible for our chaplains and religious affairs specialists.”

Holy Joe’s Cafe is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by Tom Jastermsky that donates coffee to service members at hundreds of locations around the world each year, with the aim of working with military chaplains’ offices to support troop morale through coffee.

Carter said his office will coordinate with other chaplains’ offices on base and begin immediately distributing the coffee to troops around Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

“Coffeehouses have long been places for connection, debate, discussion, and sharing of ideas, and as we emerge from COVID the need for connection and community has never been greater,” Lawrence said. “We are thankful for Holy Joe’s in helping our Unit Ministry Teams create connection through the sharing of a cup of ‘Joe.’”