Rome coffee shop helps Calhoun students with fundraising efforts
Swift & Finch coffee shop in Rome is helping to send Calhoun High School culinary arts students to Italy.
Rome’s Swift & Finch coffee shop will be reaching across county lines to help Calhoun High School in their fundraising efforts to send a group of students to Italy.
The support from the business will help send the school’s culinary arts program somewhere in Italy, said Mark McLucas, manager and roaster for Swift & Finch. He said coffee is more than just a morning routine but is an everyday culture. Owner of Swift & Finch Ellie Mahon said the students will be selling the shop’s coffee and using the proceeds for their trip. The coffee will be sold to the school at a discount and Swift will also be giving them a variety of coffees to sell.
Calhoun High is not the only school the almost 7-year-old coffee shop supports. Swift & Finch has also worked very closely with Pepperell High School’s Caps & Grounds student-run coffee shop.
“It’s been such a success at Pepperell,” McLucas said. “We’d love to see it happen elsewhere.”
“We love the pride and confidence it has given those students,” Mahon added.
Mahon said she would love to work with every local high school and give that partnership to anyone who is interested. Anyone and everyone should work in a coffee shop, restaurant or any customer service-based job, she said.
Another way Swift has been helping local schools has been taking their refurbished 1971 Citroen van to teacher appreciation days. Mahon says the shop waives staffing and set-up fees.
McLucas said he has been invited by a Model High School science teacher to come discuss the chemistry of coffee to students. It’s something that most wouldn’t think has a real world application, but it does he said.
Swift & Finch operates at 600 Broad St., and sends their mobile unit (their refurbished van) to special events. For more information, call them at 706-237-6750.