Harley's House coffee is now available for online orders. (hhcoffeeco.com)

By Nigel Maxwell

Creative fundraising

Local signature coffee blend to help fund young adult transitional home

Jan 20, 2021 | 2:00 PM

The people behind the construction of a semi-independent, transition complex for young adults in Prince Albert, have come up with a stimulating way to fundraise for the build, as well as help cover their future operating expenses.

Harley’s House Coffee is now available for online orders. Dave Girardi, executive director of the Girardi Foundation, said the idea and formula for their own signature blend was sprouted locally, but the coffee itself is manufactured in Alberta, and the beans, grown ethically, come from all over the world.

“People are kind of pulling back on donations [right now] and more focused on buying consumables,” he said.

The Girardi Foundation has purchased land in the West Flat area of the city where it hopes to build Harley’s House in the spring, a six-unit, semi-independent living home for individuals aged 18 to 21.

A detailed drawing of what Harley’s House will look like. (Faceboook/Girardi Foundation)

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The cost to build was an estimated $1.5 million which Girardo told paNOW they are close to accomplishing. He said the coffee will help provide a revenue stream to assist individuals who come to the home for support.

“So if that individual doesn’t have any money, we wouldn’t have to turn them away. They would just be automatically covered,” Girardi said.

Recognizing that COVID has impacted the ability to have a physical shop where people can come, Girardi said they are offering people a socially distanced alternative.

“So if people want to pay annually, they can right off the website and then it just gets shipped to their house,” he said, adding they also want to involve other community groups.

“We will also be inviting other organizations that employ individuals with disabilities, to take part as a supplier like a ceramic cup or a coffee table. Basically everything coffee will be found right on our website,” he said.

Harley’s House

According to their website, Harley’s House will provide a supportive living environment for individuals transitioning out of foster care by ensuring the have the opportunity to develop social and life skills that they require to live independently.

The idea for the project came from Jody Foy’s ten years of experience as a special education assistant. After meeting a young man named Harley, Foy was inspired to pin point areas where the system could use improvements for helping young adults with intellectual challenges.

What Jody established was that there needed to be more housing accommodations, and more transitional support to bridge the gap from young man/woman to adulthood.

“Having Harley’s House Coffee up and running is another reminder of how close we are to making this a reality for our community,” Foy told paNOW. “Launching the coffee is not only a fundraiser but in the long run it will employ as well as support the residents living in Harley’s House.”

Foy also expressed how excited she was to work with other groups in the city.

“Both carrying their products on the website and putting our coffee in their hands, which will help us establish the relationships and trust we need with the community to create more certainty around our project and with the community to show them how much this is really needed,” she said.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell