APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Seth’s Coffee in Appleton is letting others pay it forward with their “suspended coffee” program.
Owner Seth Lenz tells FOX 11 the coffees are paid for in advance by other customers.
“Somebody who can’t afford or I don’t know is having a rough financial time, they can come in and ask if there are any suspended coffees available. If there are, then they get a cup of coffee that’s already been paid for by somebody else.”
When the program started four years ago, they had about 60 unredeemed cups of coffee.
Now, Lenz says the word– and caffeine– are spreading.
“This year so far we’re just over 1,000 suspended coffees that have been purchased and redeemed. We’re running at a balance of less than 20 at the drive-thru.”
And the giving keeps going.
“We’re just about to exceed last year’s number of suspended coffees,” Lenz said.
You don’t know everyone’s circumstances at first glance.
“It’s not just the homeless population or people who you would assume are not able to afford a coffee. There are some people who just for one reason or another it’s something that they can’t afford to do that day,” Lenz said.
Lenz says the program is full steam ahead thanks to the community’s generosity.
“It’s not like a specific demographic. It’s not just people who volunteer a lot. It’s all walks of life that are contributing to this. So it’s really neat to see people coming together.”
If you’re feeling generous, you can stop by their location on Washington Street in Appleton to pay it forward.
Lenz said he has only had to limit a few people for over-using the program in four years.
