Help Ad Astra pay back the kindness....

On Wednesday, May 29th, the boiler inside our espresso machine suddenly lost pressure.

Our espresso machine! Our proverbial bread and butter. When the closest espresso tech (Wichita) finally got to us and assessed our old machine, the answer became pretty clear. We could limp this machine along for a conservative amount of money. But we’d have to wait on parts and labor. How long we’d be with out a machine, we didn’t know. We could order another modestly priced used machine for a little more money. But still, we’d have to wait on it to get to us. Without the ability to sell lattes, mochas, etc. we felt doomed! It felt like salt in the wound that just as our espresso machine was giving up the ghost, the shiny NEW coffee shop downtown was having its Grand Opening! We love being neighborly, but it was depressing sending paying customers down the street for 4 days while we struggled with what to do next.

We were in despair. In order to get a machine here quickly, it was going to take a serious financial investment. Problem was we’d spent our entire “nest egg” getting in to the beautiful new building where we’re now located. Two years ago, when we found out we had to move, all we’d saved, all we’d been working for immediately went towards insuring Ad Astra’s future.

As I sat around a table with some of our most regular customers on Thursday afternoon, trying to brainstorm what to do, a customer and dear friend came in and sat down and said quietly, “What is it you need, honey?”

“A miracle!” I thought to myself, but I simply explained our predicament to her. Again, quietly, she asked how much we needed. And again, I explained that any machine we could get immediately was going to be a serious investment for Ad Astra. This particular model the espresso tech had available was a great machine at a really great price. But it was too much money for us to come up with quickly.

She said, “I could get that much for you right now if you need it.” I was shocked and overwhelmed by her offer, but immediately my pride kicked in and I professed adamantly that I could not accept such a gracious offer. She simply said ok, and the group of us continued to brainstorm what to do. Again and again, it came down to NOT knowing what we were going to do. Again and again, she said simply, “I can get it for you right now if you need it.”

Finally, some of Ad Astra’s most caring customers, along with our lack of other options, convinced me to put my pride away and accept the fact that this place we’ve created and struggled for over the last 13 years MEANS that much to people. This place where community comes together and people care about each other and help out in times of need.

Twenty minutes later, she was back with a check. Our new espresso machine was installed the next day.

I was bowled over. Not only was I unbelievably grateful to know someone so unbelievably generous, but my head and heart swam with the thought that we’ve created a place that makes people want to do such things. I spent the rest of that day in a haze. I paid for the guy behind me in line at the drive thru. I picked up trash in the parking lot. I would have helped any little old lady I saw cross the street. Paying it forward was the only way my brain could handle the overload of one single person’s generosity.

That evening, as a team, we decided we had to figure out how we could help share the burden.

That brought us right here to this fundraising page. How better to pay our Guardian Loan Angel back than to ask the community who has always supported us to help out?

This place was built for community, by community. I think that means more to me than a new espresso machine. But the espresso machine pays the bills.

So help out if you can! Please share if you will! Any little bit goes a long way in repaying the kindness of others.