Good Cheer is starting a new food drive program in partnership with local businesses here on Whidbey Island. Each month we hope to have a business who will adopt a food drive for the entire month. This program will provide the food bank with another source of donations and help in creating a hunger-free community on South Whidbey Island.
I was thinking about how this program needed to get off to a good start and one of the first names that came to my mind was Whidbey Coffee. I remember meeting Dan Ollis, the founder of Whidbey Coffee, when he was 18 and had just opened his first coffee stand in front of Freeland’s Payless grocery store. At the time I owned the Ace Hardware store across the street and being a lover of coffee I would frequent Dan’s business at least a couple times a day. We soon built a friendship based on a mutual respect for the importance of hard work and taking risks.
Our paths have continued to cross. We have partnered on many projects such as Chocolate Chipmunk Company, Creepy Castle, Relay for Life, Island County Fair and now Good Cheer’s monthly adopted food drives. One of the many blessings in collaborating with Dan is working with Stacey and Megan between the three of them they continue to inspire me and serve as a reminder as why I still believe the American Dream is still alive.
Whidbey Coffee Co., which Dan started as a cart in 1989, now has 10 cafes and drive-throughs. A couple years ago, Dan bought Victrola Coffee, which has a Seattle roasting facility, three coffeehouses and a reputation for high-quality beans. Together the chains have 120 employees and the headquarters is located in Freeland, Washington.
Dan has been very active in supporting the local charities here on Whidbey Island and had this to say about the food drive. “I have been a part of the South Whidbey community since 1977, and I personally feel strongly that the efforts being made by the Volunteers of Good Cheer are truly worthy. I and the staff of Whidbey Coffee are proud to do its part in helping our Community become just a little bit better.”
The Whidbey Coffee Food Drive will benefit the Good Cheer Food Bank through its South Whidbey locations. The Oak Harbor locations will benefit the food banks on North Whidbey.
Whidbey Coffee has more than just its Drive Thru coffee stands; this can be seen from the photos of the Freeland Lighthouse Cafe. A cozy spot to enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat. You can also find Whidbey Coffee at the local grocery stores or you can order online.
It appears that Starbucks likes what they see at the recently purchased Victrola. Here is a CNN video with an interview of Dan Ollis. It’s just a short video but worth a look; be sure to view in full screen mode, you’ll have to watch a short ad. Click Here
Not surprising that so many good ideas and people come from Whidbey Island:)
Thanks to Dan and all of those that work at WhidbeyCoffee. You can find their website by clicking here.
Good Cheer!
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