At Heine Brothers,’ we have always been about much more than simply making a profit. From the beginning, we have been committed to treating people and the planet with respect and dignity. From working directly with organic coffee farmers, to recycling every milk jug we use; from partnering to provide clean water in Mexico, to protecting the natural awesome of the Green River here in Kentucky; Impact is one of the core values of our company, and important to all of us at Heine Bros’.
We love roasting coffee and operating coffee shops and we are proud to be making a difference here in Louisville and around the world. At Heine Brothers’ Coffee, we believe we’re doing well by doing what’s right.
2019 Community Partners:
On The Ground supports sustainable community development in farming regions around the world. They accomplish this by partnering with other non-profits, progressive businesses (like Heine Brothers’), activists, philanthropists, and (most importantly) local communities. Together they are creating lasting infrastructure, built on a foundation of gender and social equality, environmental sustainability, and economic security.
Our focus is on water projects in Chiapas, Mexico with On The Ground. We do this by:
– Donating $2 from every Mizu/HB On The Ground reusable water bottle sold in our stores to On The Ground.
For more info, visit: onthegroundglobal.org
Forecastle Foundation was created in 2010 to protect the world’s most biologically-rich, highly-threatened hot spots. While founded as the activism arm of Louisville’s Forecastle Festival, it now operates independently year-round, and has contributed over $150,000 to it’s mission of protecting the world’s natural awesome.
Heine Brothers’ donates $1 from every 12oz bag of Kentucky Dream coffee sold to the Forecastle Foundation, for projects at Pine Mountain with Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, and also at the Green River in Central Kentucky with The Nature Conservancy.
For more info, visit: forecastlefoundation.org
The Center for Women and Families provides trauma-informed advocacy and support for individuals, families, and communities affected by intimate partner violence and sexual assault. They mitigate the impact of trauma by building resilience and reducing risk factors at all levels. They are guided by a strong grassroots feminist history, and are committed to social and economic justice. They co-create violence free homes, families, and communities.
Heine Brothers’ supports the Center by:
– Donating $1 from every 12oz bag of Ronda’s Blend coffee sold
– Donating the full price ($2) for every burlap coffee bag sold
– Our baristas donate all pennies from their tips
For more info, visit: thecenteronline.org
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth is a grassroots organization of over 10,000 member across Kentucky. They use a set of core strategies, from leadership development to communications and voter empowerment, to impact a broad range of issues, including coal and water, new energy and transition, economic justice and voting rights.
Heine Brothers’ donates $1 from every 12oz bag of Mountain Dream coffee sold to KFTC.
For more info, visit: kftc.org
Highland Youth Recreation has partnered with Kentucky Refugee Ministries to give KRM soccer players an opportunity to play HYR soccer free of charge. It is a great opportunity for these newly relocated international families to integrate with the Louisville community and make friends. It is also a great opportunity for HYR players to get to meet and play with often very talented international players.
Heine Brothers’ has partnered with the Louisville City Soccer Club to release a joint tumbler, designed by Nathan Weaver. Heine Brothers’ donates $2 from every HB + LouCityFC Tumbler sold to the program.
For more info, visit: HYR / KRM Partnership
Heine Brothers’ has partnered with Coop Norandino (one of our coffee producing partners in northern Peru) and Grow Ahead on a carbon-capturing reforestation program. The program promotes conservation of the Andean Paramo ecosystem through reforestation activities and renewal of specialty coffees in the mountains of Piura. Norandino’s goal is to reforest 55 hectares of forest varieties (pine, cypress, mahogany, alder, eucalyptus saligna…), and renovate 30 hectares of coffee plants with rust tolerant varieties. This increase in plant coverage will help restore the landscape, flora and fauna, establish native plant species, recover aquifer recharge zones, increase the amount of water, and improve both the quality and the stability of local water sources.
Heine Brothers’ donates $1 from every 12oz bag of Traveler Blend coffee sold to Coop Norandino.
For more info, visit: Coop Norandino
Carbon, Climate, and Coffee Projects :
Heine Brothers’ is a founding member of Cooperative Coffees, a fair-trade green coffee buying cooperative that exists to import high-quality, organic green coffee from small-scale farmer organizations to build long-term relationships and foster fair and equitable trading practices. Coop Coffee’s goal is to make coffee growing a sustainable and beneficial endeavor for farmer families and their communities.
Through membership in Coop Coffees, Heine Brothers’ is able to work with coffee farming coops directly, not just on purchasing high-quality organic coffee at above fair-trade prices, but also on sustainability, community projects, cultural exchanges, and transparency.
Heine Brothers’ donates 3¢ for every pound of coffee that we purchase to the Coop Coffees Carbon, Climate, and Coffee Fund – creating opportunities to support small-scale farmers implement regenerative agricultural practices and to act as environmental service providers. In 2019, Heine Brothers’ funds are going to 8 coffee producer cooperatives, working on 8 different projects:
Cool Farm Tool Workshop and Exchange in Peru
with Mejillones (Bolivia), Fondo Paez (Colombia), COMSA (Honduras), CAC Pangoa (Peru), Norandino (Peru), and Sol & Café (Peru).
Cool Farm Tool Workshop and Exchange in Guatemala
with Fondo Paez (Colombia), COMSA (Honduras), Maya Vinic (Mexico), CAC Pangoa (Peru), Norandino (Peru), and Sol & Café (Peru).
Plants with Memory (Energy Reversion)
with COMSA (Honduras).
Climate Change Adaptation Program
with Permata Gayo (Sumatra).
Farmer Field Schools
with Maya Vinic (Mexico).
Coffee Fields: Production and Diversification
with Norandino (Peru).
Reforestation Project
with Norandino (Peru).
Coffee Plot Rehabilitation Through Pruning
with Sol & Café (Peru).
Hometown Heroes:
-Wendell Berry
Wendell Berry is a Kentucky-based novelist, poet, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer. A prolific author, he has written many novels, short stories, poems, and essays. The Berry Center – in New Castle, KY – is putting Wendell Berry’s writings to work by advocating for farmers, land conserving communities, and healthy regional economies.
Learn more at berrycenter.org.
-Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer and activist from Louisville. He is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century. The Muhammad Ali Center – in Downtown Louisville, KY – is a nonprofit museum and multicultural center dedicated to the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali.
Learn more at alicenter.org.
-Anne Braden
Anne Braden was an American civil rights activist, journalist, and educator dedicated to the cause of racial equality in Louisville and throughout the South. The Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research – a program within the University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences – was founded to honor the work and legacy of Anne Braden, seeking to advance public understanding of the U.S. civil rights movement, both its powerful history and its unfinished agenda of racial and social justice.
Learn more at louisville.edu/braden.
Sustainability Facts:
Footprints
Heine Brothers’ Coffee has always believed that we should leave as small of a footprint as possible on the planet, and do good whenever possible to make the world a better place.
To-Go Cups
Our hot to-go cups are compostable AND recyclable, and our cold to-go cups are recyclable too! Even our lids are recyclable.
Local Sourcing
Our food comes from local bakers & makers here in the Kentuckiana area – cutting down on transportation pollution & helping the local economy!
Composting
Our spent coffee grounds, tea leaves, and more are collected weekly and composted by the University of Louisville’s Food Waste Composting Project and the city of Louisville!
Coffee Roasting
Our coffee roaster – the Loring Smart Roast – is the most environmentally-friendly roaster on the market. It uses less fuel (and emits less CO2) than any other commercial coffee roaster machine.
Organic Farming
We only source coffee and tea from organic farms – organic farming prevents toxic pesticides from polluting the land, the plant, the farmer, and the consumer.
Kentucky Dream
We created a tasty coffee blend, Kentucky Dream, with $1 from the purchase of each bag going to The Forecastle Foundation, for environmental projects at Pine Mountain and the Green River here in Kentucky.
Raw Sugar
We offer fair-trade, organic, raw sugar on the condiment counters at all of our stores and have done away with paper sugar packets.
Cooperative Coffees
In 2000, Heine Brothers’ Coffee co-founded Cooperative Coffees, the world’s first organic, fair trade coffee purchasing cooperative. We buy directly from cooperatives of farmers in the growing countries. Thanks to our customers, we’re selling lots of fair trade, organic coffee and helping improve the life of coffee farmers all over the world.
Recycling
Every week we go through tons of milk jugs, glass bottles, plastic containers, magazines, office paper, and newspaper here in our shops. We’ve been happily recycling all of that since the 1990′s.
Reusable Mugs
Buy a new or bring in your own reusable mug! When you bring it in you get discounts on drinks with it all year!
Traveler Blend
We’ve partnered with Grow Ahead and Coop Coffees on our Traveler Blend – for every bag sold, 2 trees are planted in Northern Peru with our coffee partners in Norandino Cooperative as part of their carbon & climate initiative.
Less Waste
Instead of wooden stir sticks that get thrown away, we have reusable metal spoons to stir your coffee on the condiment counter of all of our shops!
Send a Message
If you have any ideas for further steps we can take, please email them to us!
