☕ Help Strong Tower Coffee Launch Its First Coffee Bike! ✨

I’m Sabra Robinson—a widow, community-builder, and founder of both Strong Tower Coffee Collective and the Charlotte Coffeehouse Collective.

I’m raising $25,000 to purchase and launch a fully equipped commercial-grade mobile electric coffee bike that can serve espresso and specialty drinks. At 50+, I’m building something new—an independent passion project.

This coffee bike is a community-focused project rooted in service, storytelling, and great coffee.

Can you donate $7?

If 3,571 people each give $7, we can make this coffee bike a reality. I chose $7 intentionally, because biblically, the number seven represents completeness, rest, and blessing. (Genesis 2:2–3)

About Strong Tower Coffee Collective

Strong Tower Coffee Collective is a Charlotte- and Matthews-based social enterprise coffee company that will blend exceptional coffee service with community impact. Our mission is simple: Serve coffee. Build people. Strengthen community.

Every cup will fuel hope, training, confidence, and new beginnings.

About Me

Before coffee, I spent seven years serving widows through my former nonprofit, Black Women Widows Empowered, which grew into a national online support community. That work was recognized by outlets like the New York Times (as a result of our COVID Podcast) and the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office (my hometown), but most of it I funded quietly out of my own pocket, so I know what it’s like to build something meaningful from almost nothing.

Now, I’m stepping out again—this time through coffee, community, and second chances. This project is about purpose, people, and creating something meaningful on a small but impactful scale.

☕ Charlotte Coffeehouse Collective

Through the Charlotte Coffeehouse Collective, I’ve hosted coffee meetups that include roastery tours, podcasts, tastings, espresso and pour-over training, and fireside conversations at our coffee cart events.

All of it points toward one goal: launching a social-impact coffee venture that serves great coffee and creates encore-career opportunities for older adults and retirees.

I don’t have the full training process built yet—and I want to be honest about that. The plan is to first use the Strong Tower Coffee Bike to:

-Learn what works best operationally

-Strengthen partnerships with local coffee professionals

-Then, thoughtfully design a training pathway that truly serves older job seekers when needed

When that time comes, Strong Tower can become a place that offers both good coffee and dignified opportunities for people who are too often overlooked.

Where Your Gift Will Go

Here’s how your support will be used:

$18,000 – Coffee Bike Package & Equipment

A full, professional coffee bike system from a Canadian vendor, including:

-Espresso machine, grinder, and brewing equipment

-Plumbing, power, and an integrated water system

-Initial branding, signage, and starter inventory so we can begin serving right away

$5,000 – Shipping, Tariffs & Port Fees

The bike will be shipped from Canada and routed through the port in Wilmington, NC. This line covers:

-International freight and crating

-Tariffs, customs, and port-related fees

-Insurance to make sure the bike arrives safely

$1,000 – First-Year Storage & Maintenance

A secure place to house the bike when it’s not on the road, plus basic maintenance and tune-ups to keep it in good working order.

$1,000 Health Permits and Marketing

Every dollar goes toward getting this bike on the ground, legal, operational, and ready to serve.

Why It Matters

Too many older adults, including widows, retirees, and people in career transition, are overlooked in today’s job market, not because they lack work ethic or wisdom, but because of age bias and limited pathways back into the workforce.

You’re not just helping buy a bike. You’re helping build the first brick in a much larger, hope-filled vision.

How We’ll Thank You

I don’t take your support lightly. Here’s how I plan to honor every gift upon implementation:

A. TITLE SPONSOR – $10,000+

-Primary logo on the coffee bike to the first sponsor that donates (pending due diligence)

Ex: “Powered by [Your Company]”

-Title sponsor recognition on all major events

-Speaking opportunity at Strong Tower community launch

-Social media spotlight series (4 posts) + website

-Logo on uniforms, menus, signage

-Inclusion in press releases

-Sponsored training cohort named in your honor

B. FRIENDS OF STRONG TOWER – $250+

A perfect entry-level sponsorship for individuals, small businesses, and churches.

-Name listed on website under “Friends of Strong Tower” (once created)

-Logo on marketing materials and banner

C. First 10 Donors of $50 or more:

You’ll receive a Strong Tower Coffee Bike coffee mug once we hit our mark

D. All donors (any amount):

-Your name will be included in the digital “Strong Tower Book of Believers”—a special online thank-you “wall” for everyone who helps bring the bike to life.

The Step I Didn’t See Coming

A few months ago, I was sitting on my sofa, praying and asking God what my next step should be. Not long after that prayer, the coffee bike appeared in my feed. It stopped me in my tracks.

I had been focused on opening a coffee shop, but it became clear that wasn’t the direction for this season. Instead, this was—something that could function like a coffee shop, but in a mobile, more flexible way. Something that could move, meet people where they are, and grow as it’s meant to.

There was a building I wanted badly. I truly believed it was the right location. I prayed over it, anointed it, spoke with the property manager, and researched the history of the space. I was sure it was the path forward. But it wasn’t.

That was hard to accept. Still, I’ve learned that sometimes closed doors are redirection, not denial.

So I’m trusting God with this step. Not because I have every detail figured out, but because I believe obedience sometimes starts with simply moving when you’re nudged to move.

From My Heart

As a woman who’s had to rebuild more than once, this project is deeply personal. It’s about faith, resilience, and creating something that will one day give other people a chance to rebuild, too, in an industry that can benefit from more second chances, more inclusion, and more spaces where people are seen for their potential, not their age.

If this vision resonates with you (if you care about community, second chances, or simply love seeing everyday people step out in faith), I would be honored by your support.

Thank you for your generosity, your prayers, your shares, and your belief in what Strong Tower can become.

*I would be especially grateful to reach this goal by February 24, 2026, the anniversary of my husband’s passing.

With gratitude,

Sabra

Founder, Strong Tower Coffee Collective

Proverbs 18:10, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Note: As of 1/29/26, no funds have been withdrawn. If the campaign does not reach its goal by the deadline, the campaign will continue. GoFundMe has given me until April to add an account for withdrawing funds. Donations can still be made but I cannot withdraw until I set up an account my goal is to be transparent to my donors. I will continue to keep you updated.