Every morning, rain or shine, Richmond families are met with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the warmth of an “Ohayo Gozaimasu!” as we walk in the door. But this was not always the case.
Akiko Ishida, Kirstin Yamakawa, Sumika Calaba
Yoko Niki-Breyfogle, Katharina Cahen, Emi Avondstondt
Andrea Obana, Yuko Kesic, Kara Coffey
Seven years ago, a group of hard-working Richmond moms, lead by Emi Avondstondt, noticed there was no coffee available to parents volunteering their time. They also noticed that their friends tended to head straight for a coffee shop right after drop-off, not just for coffee, but more significantly, community. So they thought, “why not offer a place on campus where parents can get a great cup of coffee, and make it easy to visit with friends, have meetings, and support Richmond, all at the same time?” Hence the birth of Rich Coffee, a PTA committee dedicated to providing coffee, cocoa and light snacks each and every morning.
Shannon Bromenschenkel
The Rich Coffee Team soon expanded their services to include school special events. Every festival, movie night, special event – the “coffee ladies” are there to greet you with a smile, and raise money for our school. And their earnings have been substantial.
Here are a few of their contributions:
- New audio system for the cafeteria and stage
- Custom curtains for the stage
- Traditional Japanese graduation banners, in beautiful calligraphy
- Recess “kits” for every classroom
- Xylophones for music instruction
- Teacher grants for classroom enhancement
Every single school morning these women are committed to making your day – and Richmond – a little (or a lot) better. So the next time you see them, please remember to thank them for being an integral part of the fabric that makes Richmond the very special community, it is.