free COFFEE ON CAMPUS
Let's be honest, it's college. Most of us run on caffeine, and those of us that don't still like free stuff. But coffee isn't just fuel, it's a medium for people connecting – so we thought, why not offer a free cup of coffee and a smile to the campus each week?
We gather on the Main Quad outside of the Illini Union on Fridays from 10am-12pm.
Our offerings include ethically sourced, high quality coffee, because free doesn't have to be bad. We also serve a seasonal offering that's not caffeinated alongside it. Think lemonade when it's hot and cocoa when there's a chill in the air.
Other than free coffee, our tent is also an easy and low-pressure way to meet us as a ministry. We'd love for you to stop by, say hi, and connect with one of our students to learn more about I-Life. We might even write your name on the cup...
We'll be looking forward to meeting you on the quad!
OUR COFFEE PARTNERSHIPS
Our roaster is The Friendly Bean in Kansas City, MO. The Friendly bean is a small community coffee shop in Kansas City that offers fresh roasted coffees which they roast at our own roasterie. John, the owner there roasts the beans fresh for Illini Life when we order them. John ships them to us and we brew them fresh in at Illini Life to share with UIUC students on campus every week. The Friendly Bean has been working with Kapeh Utz - a coffee importer committed to working with small producers - for 15 years. We use Guatemalan Huehuetenago coffee for our weekly Coffee Tent.
Martina Bernardo de Martin and her husband Juan Jose are indigenous Mayan coffee producers who speak Mam. Martina is in charge of their family coffee fields and wet mill processing, while Jose coordinates the business. Their coffee is cultivated in the Sierra de Los Cuchumatanes mountains of Huehuetenango, approximately 3 hours north of the city of Huehuetenango. The coffee undergoes wet processing at a site amongst the coffee fields before being dried in the sun at their at home artisan wet mill. Processing in the remote area of Rio Ocho brings out fruity flavors and less acidic characteristics similar to that of a natural processed coffee. Kapeh Utz has worked with the Martin family since the start of their business!
Varieties: Caturra, Red Pache, Arabica Typica
Grade: Strictly hard bean (SHB), 1900 m - 2000 m
Preparation: Fully washed. Sun dried on concrete patios and black nylon. European preparation (hand sorted)
Certifications: Organically farmed, but not certified organic, direct trade.