So, you're sipping your Hero Coffee and thinking "This coffee is great, but what’s the cause behind it? What is The Hero Foundation?"
The Hero Foundation is a youth-led nonprofit in Napa County that agrees the world needs heroes, now more than ever. Our team of passionate young adults works to make a tangible difference in our community through service projects, fundraisers, donation drives, and much more to address vital issues in our community. Our mission is simple: to inspire future generations to take action and be heroes in their communities. Consider this page a mini crash course on The Hero Foundation and its ties to Hero Coffee Company. Read ahead at your leisure!
“It Started with an Idea”
This was the very first phrase our founders, a small group of 15-16 year olds, wrote down when drafting ideas for The Hero Foundation. Our foundation’s beginnings were humble, starting with a handful of volunteers (many of which make up Hero Coffee Company’s founding members) organizing disaster response efforts during the Napa Valley fires of 2017. Throughout 2017 and 2018, we raised funds for education foundations, first responder charities, and disaster relief as a high school service club.
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"We are on a quest to do our part in saving the world through community service projects, fundraising, activism, and the development of a movement of people who believe in building a better world with peace, love, and prosperity for all."
This motto became The Hero Foundation’s mantra in 2017 and continues to be our heartbeat today. The Hero Foundation quickly gained momentum, growing into a thriving network of over 150 volunteers, adopting a successful coffee fundraising arm, and stressing a community-centered movement around doing good. In 2019, The Hero Foundation became a certified 501-(c)(3) organization, solidifying our commitment to giving back to our community.
A New Chapter: Hero Coffee Company
When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit in 2020, much of our operations came to a screeching halt. We were unable to raise money for local causes through traditional means, so we got creative. The Hero Foundation began to host online charity concerts, poetry readings, and other gatherings to keep our community connected and keep our mission alive.
Out of the confusion of the pandemic, Hero Coffee Company was born in early 2021. After nearly a year of planning, our fundraising arm for The Hero Foundation finally became a reality. “Coffee and Kindness” was the motto we adopted as we began selling coffee at farmers markets, on our online store, and eventually The Hero Coffee Company Trailer in 2022. Coffee sales soon fueled our larger events, including Herofest, our charity concert series, and The First Responders Cup, our annual charity soccer tournament supporting first responder charitable funds.
Making an Impact:
Since 2017, our events through The Hero Foundation and Hero Coffee Company have raised nearly $63,000 for causes around Napa County and the United States. Beyond financial contributions, we’ve organized Napa Valley community cleanups and assembled hundreds of care packages, bringing people together through service and compassion.
Our work is driven by this belief – that anyone, at any age, can make an impact.
Thank You
On behalf of the Hero Foundation Team, thank you for your support – whether you’ve joined an event, bought a bag of coffee, or simply shared our story. We hope this article has inspired you to make positive changes in your communities. If you don’t know where to start, reach out. We would love to hear from you.
Be A Hero.
With Gratitude,
The Hero Foundation Team
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To learn more about The Hero Foundation and the work that we do in our community, please visit The Hero Foundation’s website: www.theherofoundationus.org or read through our other resources on the Hero Coffee Company website.
