The Arbor Coffee House staff is offering “Pay it Forward” to honor teachers, first responders, and the Divergent Food Ministry as part of Customer Appreciation Month. Pictured are owner Aaron Burdick, Alex Burdette, Taryn Phillips, Cierra Phillips, Cierra Lynn and Salysa Burdick.

Paying it forward is a common occurrence in quick service restaurants, cafes, and coffee houses where customers ask to leave money towards the next few customers, buy gift cards and leave them in the shop for others, or simply ask to pay for the person behind them in line.

Oftentimes, this act of generosity multiplies and continues on for many customers, one after another, where many customers choose to then pay for the next person behind them, creating an unplanned and uplifting moment for customers. This generosity is something regularly seen at The Arbor Coffee House, as customers are always looking for ways to engage with the community and each other.

In response to the overwhelmingly positive welcome from the community that new owners Aaron and Salysa Burdick have received over the past eight months since the transition of ownership, they have decided to dedicate April as a Customer Appreciation Month.

With numerous events, offers, and free giveaways planned for the month, the Burdicks hope this becomes an annual tradition at The Arbor Coffee House as a way to celebrate our community, create uplifting and fun events, and take the opportunity to partner with local businesses and community members to give back in a big way.

During the Customer Appreciation Month of April, one week will be dedicated entirely as a “Pay it Forward” week in which The Arbor Coffee House is providing a platform for local businesses, customers, and community members to pay it forward in a few different ways. First, the Burdicks have selected to honor teachers of both private and public schools in our community saying that “Our teachers are the heartbeat of our community who work diligently every day, oftentimes without much recognition, to care for and raise up our next generation.” Secondly, First Responders, including police, fire, EMS, and other emergency personnel, will be honored through the planned pay it forward event as well. “These individuals make sacrifices daily for their community and are always ready when we need them,” said Burdick. For both of these two categories, a free beverage will be available to them for every $5 donated to the fund.

The third category, Neighbors in Need, is a partnership with the Divergent Food Ministry in which donations will provide sandwiches and soup to their 24/7 open pantry. Burdick shared, “The Divergent Food Ministry is meeting a need for many in our community and we at The Arbor Coffee House are eager to initiate and sustain a lasting partnership with this local ministry.” For every $5 donated to this fund, a fresh sandwich or bowl of soup will be made in house and donated from The Arbor Coffee House kitchen.

Outreach to a number of local businesses has begun where they have been asked to consider supporting this opportunity. “The outpouring of positive feedback and commitments that have already come in has been incredibly encouraging and exciting to see and is a true testament to how grateful our community is for teachers and first responders, and how willing they are to step up to help fill a need in our community by supporting the Divergent Food Ministry,” said Burdick.

Businesses who are interested in partnering with The Arbor Coffee House are able to come into the shop and make a donation to this cause in any or all of the categories that they choose to support. Donations are being accepted beginning now through the duration of the week long pay it forward event which will be happening April 13th-18th. Teachers and First responders will be able to come into our shop and ask for a Pay it Forward drink by picking up a ticket from the Pay it Forward board that will be displayed in the shop beginning the week of April 13. Businesses can choose to sponsor a day of giving, donate anonymously, or be featured on the Facebook page of The Arbor Coffee House as a major sponsor of the event. Customers will also be able to make donations in the shop during the Pay it Forward week toward any category of their choosing. Although the event will last one week, April 13th-18th, free drinks will be available for redemption on an ongoing basis as long as funds are available.

Any teachers and first responders in the area may come into the coffee shop daily during the week of April 13-18 and are encouraged to follow The Arbor Coffee House Facebook page for daily updates on the availability.

Interested businesses or community members can also reach out directly to Aaron Burdick by emailing aaron@arborcoffeehouse.com