2017 April

The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970–almost 50 years ago. I think we take it for granted today and we ignore the effects of our everyday decisions on this fragile planet. Life is a gift; we didn’t do anything to earn it or deserve it. With the gift comes responsibility–good stewardship of the life we’ve been given, the resources we have available, and the planet where we live.

Ugandan Gold Coffee takes that responsibility seriously and when you choose our coffee, you are partnering with us in that responsibility. We appreciate your partnership and, in honor of Earth Day, our regular roast coffee, ground and whole bean, is on sale now through April 25th. Click here to get your coffee now: Buy Online

When I was growing up in Massachusetts, the winter was always cold and the ground snow-covered. March would eventually come, still snow-covered and cold, but there would be a day or two toward the end of March and the beginning of April where there was a hint of springtime in the air. My dad drove a small Fiat Biachina which had a sun roof and on these days, he would open that roof, find a puddle to drive through and sing at the top of his lungs, “Welcome sweet Springtime, we greet thee in song, Murmurs of gladness fall on the ear..” There was a sense of excitement on those days–was Spring finally here? Would the puddle be deep enough to get us wet? Would we have a sunny Easter or a snowy one? Would there be any flowers to enjoy? When would it finally be warm enough to go without a coat?

It was still cold, of course, but the promise and the hope of warmer days to come was in the air.

Sunshine, cheery and warm, is more appreciated after the long, cold, gray days of winter.  The colder and longer the winter, the greater the gratefulness when spring finally arrives. Can I truly be grateful for something until I have lost it for awhile? So, this year, I am grateful for the winter we’ve had, and grateful for the renewal of springtime which brings flowers, baby lambs, the hope of Easter and the promise of new life for each of us.

During our recent visit to Uganda, we spent one day at a Displaced Persons Camp, a DPC.   These people were part of a tribe which had been removed from land they had lived on which was due to be developed. As they didn’t own the land, they have been removed to a site nearby. The case has been in the courts for 3 years and is still undecided. And they wait patiently. We went to help The Open Door ministry group which visits once a month and treats the children for various problems like ringworm and jiggers. It was a sad and sobering day for most of us. The reality of our extremely comfortable homes here in the USA contrasted harshly with the living conditions of these people who are simply caught between a rock and a hard place. The ability to visit a doctor, hospital or clinic which is easily available to most of us is almost nonexistent there. There are millions of people around the world in DPCs–38 million in 2016 (http://www.internal-displacement.org/about-us/).

Before you go to sleep in your (probably) comfortable bed tonight, think of what you can do to make this world a little better for those less fortunate.

We conduct medical clinics at the Ugandan Gold Coffee farm for the workers and their families. Perhaps you can help us with the next one. Simply donate here: Donate

Every time you buy a bag of Ugandan Gold Coffee, you help the people who have a job on the coffee farm, enabling them to take care of their families in a way that would not be possible otherwise. Thank you!