G.I.'s joe

WALLINGFORD, Sep 28, 2008 (New Haven Register - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- SBUX | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Coffee has given a big jolt to the First Congregational Church.

Plenty of parishioners drink the beverage, but ever since they started to collect coffee for soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, people have taken notice.

The effort was started more than two years ago and has gained support all over New England and in several states outside the region.

Ever since Tom Jastermsky, a deacon at the church, heard in June 2006 that there was a need for coffee for the troops, the coffee-donation drive has delivered 103 tons of coffee to canteens run by military chaplains in roughly 95 locations in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. And donations have come from as far away as Wyoming, where a group of Carmelite monks donated some of their own brand, Mystic Monk.

"Coffee is hard to come by out there, and yet the chaplains say it's so important because it's a real ice breaker," Jastermsky said. "This is a way for them to be able to strike up a conversation with somebody that they might not otherwise be able to minister to."

Jastermsky stressed that the collection effort is not an attempt to make converts, but merely a heartfelt showing of gratitude and support for the important job the troops are doing.

Initially, the church worked with Holy Joe's Cafe, a military canteen at Sather Air Force Base near Baghdad International Airport, which began by serving 100 cups of coffee weekly and expanded to 3,500. Over time, the reach of the donation drive has expanded and the chaplains involved in the project now offer more than 182,000 cups of coffee each week at bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

Eloise Hudd -- Wallingford's municipal health director, a congregation member and a major in the Connecticut Air National Guard -- said the Internet has played a significant role in spreading the word about the church's efforts to collect coffee for the troops.

"The Internet is a wonderful thing," Hudd said.

The coffee comes not only from individuals and churches, but also from a number of corporations that donate, including Big Y, Starbucks, New England Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee and Tetley Tea. The Rev. Dean Warburton, the senior minister at First Congregational, said he is amazed at the level of corporate backing.

"That's something that is relatively rare for a church ministry activity," Warburton said.

The shipping of the coffee that is collected is done by Cooper Atkins, a Middlefield company that makes temperature, time and humidity instruments for the food service and heating and air-conditioning industries. The company's chief executive officer, Carol Wallace, is a member of the First Congregational Church. "It's kind of natural because her company ships products all over the world," said Warburton. Warburton said that while people have a diversity of opinions about the war with Iraq, they seem to agree that donating coffee is a nice way to show support for the troops. "It really pulls together a diverse group," he said. Anyone interested in donating coffee or snacks should call (888) 970-7994 or e-mail holyjoescafe@aol.com.

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