I’m happy to announce that it’s been 10 weeks of Lattes for Literacy! Today I’m recapping how I got started and progress I’ve made.
How It Started
You should know that I’m a Millennial. I order a take-out latte almost every single day.
For years I’ve been asked, “You know you can just make coffee at home, right?” But nothing really convinced me to change my coffee-spending habits…until now!
While walking to my favorite coffee shop for my morning fix, I was thinking about how I could make a difference and raise awareness about local libraries and other literacy initiatives.
A voice in my head said, “You could stop buying coffee altogether and just donate that money.” However, the thought of completely eliminating my morning coffee habit did not appeal to me, but then I had another idea.
Instead of ruling out take-out coffee, I decided to start modifying my coffee order to a less expensive option. The money I saved through each order could then be donated to local libraries and literacy initiatives in the East Bay.
My go-to coffee order is a medium latte. I know there are options at almost every single coffee shop that are less expensive than that.
- For example, a medium drip coffee at a national chain in my area is $2 less than a medium latte. Over a year, that adds up to $730.00!
- Another example is if I order a small latte, which is $0.50 less than the medium. Over a year, that adds up to $182.50.
Like a lot of people, I order my coffee in a mobile app. Each week, it is easy for me to look back on what I have ordered and add up the savings!
How It’s Going
In Week 3, I became a Friend of the Danville Library with my first $20.
In Week 7, I made a $50 donation to Project Second Chance and my employer matched 50% ($25) for a total donation of $75!
I just wrapped up Week 10 and my current Lattes for Literacy balance is $10.95. I’m still doing some research on where my next donation will go!
Let me know how you are supporting local libraries and literacy programs in your community!
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