January 2012 ● Volume 23 ● Edition 5


Community Paper college park By Ted Simmons M


onths before protesters occupied Wall Street, and months before that very same movement


made its way down to Central Florida, Downtown Credo was focused on enacting change. Visit their webpage and you're immediately greeted with a quote, one that speaks nothing of soy latte's or peppermint mocha's. "Life is worth living. I refuse to merely exist. I pursue a life of meaning and purpose, fulfillment and joy." In the year since this paper's initial coverage of the local non-profit community coffee shop, Down- town Credo has grown, flourished in fact. Publicity was given to the rowdy demonstrators across the country, critics questioning their true commitment to action. Meanwhile, Ben Hoyer and his team of differ- ence makers were quietly expanding far beyond cof- fee, refusing to merely exist, to merely crush beans and wish you a nice a day. With a second location underway to open in Aus-


tin, the Downtown Credo is proving successful. And that's with no advertising or marketing efforts. You could consider their social networking campaigns highly infective, or the word of mouth highly infec- tious, but Hoyer puts Credo's philosophy above all else.


"I think part of it is, the coffee shop's a comfort-


able place to be," Hoyer says. "But I think also, part of it is people are ready to be a part of something. In every aspect. They don't want to just get a cup of cof- fee, but they love knowing that as they name their price for a cup of coffee, they're a part of something larger. Same reason people would want to step into these service projects that we do. Because they know that our focus is on long-term relationship and sustain- able change in our city, not just one service project. I think the success is people are ready to be a part of something and Downtown Credo is something unique, like a movement of people starting to think about who we're becoming rather than what we have."


The front of Downtown Credo Orlando is all glass. Sunlight juts into the building, touching the dozens To get involved with Downtown Credo, stop in for a cup of coffee at 706 W. Smith Street, or visit their website: downtowncredo.com


of plants in the front windows, touching those punching away at lap tops. Sarah Heiberg, Credo's shop manager, is explaining the various terrariums and the vegetation that "brings life inside." There is a jar of coffee beans that sits up by the counter, which is purposely devoid of any menu or dollar signs. The beans are what Heiberg calls a bad batch, from a farm in Nicaragua, that now serve as a display. They illustrate the beginning, rawest stage of what many of us use to inspire the energy in our days. Heiberg came to Credo in September 2011 after


managing a small deli near Universal. "I think my heart was hardened when I was in the corporate world and now it's being softened again," Heiberg says. She sees her role in a business capacity, bringing the tactical think- ing to Hoyer's community engaging, optimistic dreaming yang.


As much as Credo extends its life, its brand, into


various service projects—cleaning up the streets of Par- ramore, refurbishing playgrounds, maintaining vegetable gardens—the nucleus is the coffee shop, which fosters Credo's vision of community on the most basic level. Furniture is placed to promote interaction. Hoyer makes a point to connect customers with like interests, business,


ideas. "I really want the shop to be about what Down- town Credo is about, which is building community and moving people towards real relationships," he says. Downtown Credo stands on three pillars: Coffee--A


direct trade relationship with the growers in Guatemala leads to customers naming their own price; Rally-- Partnering with four local charities and strategic long- term partnerships; and Conduit--Inspiring people to live with meaning, impacting community through creativity. The coffee shop features artists, musicians and free work- shops to promote learning and connection. The macro picture of what Downtown Credo stands for seems ever- present for those connected to the cause. "I'm usually behind the counter or doing events in the shop, but Downtown Credo is so much bigger," Heiberg says. The question is, how much bigger? Hoyer speaks of


Credo's growth going from evolving past drip coffee only to involving over 850 people in projects. From in- stalling an espresso machine to donating over 500 pounds of coffee. "The scale has definitely jumped up a lot quicker than I thought it would," he notes. "This time last year I had a dream of being in three more cities in the next five years. Now it looks like it could be a reality."


INSIDE THIS ISSUE >>>


♦Community Spotlight: Joanna Francis - Living Well pg 4


♦Edgewater Makes Huge Gains pg 7 “The goal is to Live Well, not just Get Well.” - Joanna Francis


♦New Businesses on the Drive pg 10 ♦Getting Married? Win a Wedding pg 17


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