Brewing GRATITUDE: Ramblin’ Joe’s donates Coffee to 615 Memphis Teachers
At 6:30 AM on a Monday morning, a group of Bank3 and City Leadership volunteers gathered at the Ramblin’ Joe’s roasting plant to start Teacher Appreciation Month a little early. Together, we delivered fresh coffee to 12 schools, serving 615 Memphis teachers as they kicked off TCAP week.
The City Leadership crew and Bank3 team up to deliver coffee to teachers.
“I love this city, and I’m so thankful to have a community full of people doing great work. Having the opportunity to do something as small as passing out coffee this morning brings hope that the teachers we served feel seen and appreciated. The next generation is crucial to the progress in this city, so we need great teachers. We need to thank those who do the work most are unwilling to do and find ways to support and encourage them.”
A Conversation with Ramblin’ Joe’s
We caught up with the team at Ramblin’ Joe’s to learn more about their philosophy, community involvement, and why this partnership with Give901 and Teach901 was so important to them.
Can you break down the meaning behind the name “Ramblin’ Joe’s”?
“To break down our name, ramble means to travel or wander around and find new things, and joe is another name for coffee. The name Ramblin’ Joe’s encompasses the main themes of our brand. Joe, a coffee explorer, rambles around to find regionally inspired flavors from around the world. Joe believes coffee is enjoyed everywhere but, in each place, it is enjoyed differently. Joe’s goal is to bring the unique flavors he finds to his hometown cafes for everyone to try and enjoy!”
Why is community support such a central part of your business model?
“At Ramblin’ Joe’s, we have a philosophy called Joe’s Way. This is a list of core beliefs that we use as the guidelines to morally and ethically run our business. One of these core beliefs is Support Your Community. We believe coffee is about community—meeting friends, getting to know your neighbors, and helping each other in any way you can. We use this philosophy on a daily basis and it is our compass that keeps us on the right path.”
Why did you want to partner with Teach901 during TCAP Week?
“Partnering with Teach901 is important to us based on Joe’s core value of supporting his community. Joe believes that education is a fundamental right and educators are a vital part in the support of each community. When we learned Teach901 had an event to uplift and support teachers across Memphis for TCAP week, we were excited to help and do our part in supporting our Memphis teachers. We hope that teachers feel supported. We realize the job teachers do is very difficult, and bringing a smile to teachers’ faces is our goal!”
Salem Moses (City Leadership) delivering coffee to Perea Elementary School.
How does this partnership tie into your broader goals for Teacher Appreciation Month?
“During Teacher Appreciation Month, we plan to take more coffee donations to teachers and give teacher discounts at all of our cafes. Partnering with Teach901 gives us the ability to increase the areas of Memphis and the number of teachers we can support and serve. Through Teach901 we are not only able to serve more Memphis teachers, but also help get Memphis local volunteers involved in the support!”
What’s your vision for how Ramblin’ Joe’s can continue to be known for more than coffee?
“Passed down from our founder in 1971, our company motto is ‘We don’t sell coffee, we serve happiness.’ This is where the basis of our core beliefs, encompassed in Joe’s Way, were created from. Our vision for Ramblin’ Joe’s in the future is to simply follow Joe’s Way. This means supporting our community, speaking like a friend, trying new things and treating all customers as friends and with respect. We believe if we do that, our core values guide us to being a company that does more than just selling coffee but having a positive impact on our community through not only large events but also day-to-day friendliness.”
The Collegiate School of Memphis teachers and Bank3 volunteer Preston Albertine.
Ramblin’ Joe’s is also one of our We Love Teachers partners, offering discounts to teachers throughout the year. And keep an eye out for their newest location opening soon at Sam Cooper and Tillman. They’re excited to grow their grassroots impact, build relationships with neighborhood schools like Brewster Elementary, Give901 partner- The Collegiate School of Memphis, and Binghampton Christian Academy. We’re excited to see them serving up coffee with a mission across even more corners of Memphis.
