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How Love Won

On June 2, 2014, our family—Lance, Toni, and son, Spencer—was forever changed when our First World collided with the Third World world of a small, malnourished, 12-year-old boy. He wore clothing two sizes too big, had holes in his shoes, and had a twinkle in his eyes!

We were captivated by his contagious spirit and began the adoption process immediately. None of us could have predicted the ferocious battle that would ensue and the off-road terrain we would traverse for LOVE. When it comes to love, though, you don’t count the cost!

After 16 trips over the course of three years, our 15-year-old son’s physical address changed from Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras to our home in Kathleen, Georgia. The Slade Party of Three finally became “Slade, Party of Four” with Lance, Toni, Spencer, and our adopted son, Henson, named after his grandfather.

The Orphanage Coffee Project

After Henson’s adoption was finalized, our story of love was not complete. There were hundreds of children/youth at Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras who were engraved on our hearts. We were summoned to serve them in a sustainable, difference-making way.

 

One night, in an A-HA, full-circle moment, our family was called to “marry” our long-time dream of owning a coffee house with the significance of creating a deeper purpose for the youth at Henson’s former orphanage. Thus, Woodlands Coffee Roasters & Café and The Orphanage Coffee Project were born!

Teach a Kid to Bean…

“Pour a kid a cup, he drinks for a day. Teach a kid to bean, he drinks for a lifetime.”

The Orphanage Coffee Project provides the youth (“mighty warriors”) of Orphanage Emmanuel an invaluable education in the business of coffee farming and is made possible through our compassionate partnership with a local Honduran farmer who we affectionately call “Mr. Miyagi.” Through his nearby coffee plantation and the coffee crops we have purchased and planted on the orphanage’s property, Mr. Miyagi educates the youth in “all the ways of coffee” from the seed to the bean.

The Orphanage Coffee Project is a pathway to freedom and a way for children to emerge like a phoenix from the ashes of generational poverty. These young people are taught a trade and a career in the field of coffee (in one of the coffee meccas of the world) that enables them the opportunity to gain a valuable education to support themselves and their families after they leave the orphanage (typically at 16 years of age). They are learning how to grow their futures, create hope, and build dreams…

students sifting through coffee beans in a trough
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Esperanza Means Hope

Woodlands offers multiple single-origin coffees from eclectic regions around the world! One of our most popular single origins is our Honduran “Esperanza!” Esparanza is the Spanish word for Hope! We are hopeful one day Woodlands can serve the coffee beans grown at Henson’s orphanage! It takes a few years before a coffee plant can produce a quality crop (cherry), so time will tell! In the waiting, the coffee plants grown through “The Orphanage Coffee Project” serve as a classroom for education and life-change for the resident youth at the orphanage.

In-house Daily Hours of
Operation

Monday – Thursday

6 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Friday and Saturday

6 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sunday

(*Special Brunch Menu*)

7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Drive-Thru Hours of
Operation

Monday – Saturday

6 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sunday

7 a.m. – 2 p.m.