Through the month of February, Monks coffee shop will be supporting the ACU student-formed non-profit organization, The Red Thread Movement, by selling red bracelets in its shop.
Samantha Sutherland, sophomore advertising and public relations major from Brownwood and founder of the Red Thread Movement said Monks approached her about the possibility of setting up a display in the coffee shop for Valentine’s Day and the rest of the month.
“I love partnering with different things, like Monks, and the bands that we partner with, and even schools and other non-profits. I think it’s really beneficial,” Sutherland said. “I really feel that with connections and with partnerships, there are so many ways to mutually benefit.”
Erin James-Brown, a barista at Monks, said the staff at Monks had heard about The Red Thread Movement and determined that the non-profit shared many of the same beliefs Monks tries to promote.
“At the coffee shop, we only serve direct trade organic coffee, but it’s a priority for us to help those that need it,” James-Brown said. “It’s the mentality built into the idea of Monks. We want it to be a place that is a great place to hang out, but is also a place to give back, accomplishing two goals at one time. With that mentality in mind, we try to think of ways to recycle better, provide better for the environment and give back to the Abilene community.”
Sutherland said since The Red Thread Movement’s Chapel forum last semester, the organization has gotten a lot of buzz, with more volunteers, business opportunities and publicity, which she feels was vital to starting the organization.
“I have a huge vision of what could happen in Nepal, Sutherland said. “We went there in January, and I think that raising money, just having a little bit more money each month, can have a huge impact. It can add another border unit to the whole system. It can open another safe house that can house 20 more girls. There are just so many things that could happen, in small steps, so it would be great to see that expand.”
“I think it’s a really taboo subject people want to ignore or pretend it doesn’t exist, because it’s pretty unpleasant to think about,” James-Brown said. “It’s terrible, but just because it’s hard to talk about doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be addressed.”
Red Thread bracelets cost $3. One dollar from each sale contributes to the cost of making the bracelets, and the other two go directly toward a safe house in Nepal for women who have been victims of human trafficking.
