Coffee kiosk proceeds go to Shepherd's Hand

A stop at the Pin and Brew coffee kiosk

allows patrons to not only get a shot of caffeine, but also the

chance to help a local nonprofit.

The Pin and Cue chose the Shepherd’s

Hand Clinic to benefit from the coffee kiosk located in front of

its building. At the beginning of the year, the Pin and Brew began

donating 100 percent of its profits to the clinic.

“Everybody enjoys the coffee,” said

Brett Pierce, one of the Pin and Cue owners. “This is a way to

purchase something you would anyway and benefit the clinic — this

meshes it together.”

The Pin and Brew, which opened last

March, was designed to benefit a local nonprofit. The kiosk is open

from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The free Shepherd’s Hand Clinic was

established in 1995 to provide free medical care for people without

health insurance. Since then, Shepherd’s Hand has expanded to

include a community meal and a wellness program. The clinic

operates each Monday night out of Christ Lutheran Church.

Pin and Cue owner Mac MacCracken said

the clinic was an obvious choice when selecting a nonprofit to

benefit from the coffee kiosk.

“It’s a really, really nice fit,”

MacCracken said. “It’s a nonprofit that helps everybody in the

valley.”

The clinic has also partnered with

Montana Coffee Traders to offer the Shepherd’s Hand blend. The Pin

and Brew serves the organic medium roast blend in its beverages and

also has bags of it for purchase.

Meg Erickson, executive director of

Shepherd’s Hand, points out that the Pin and Brew’s use of the

blend gives a double benefit to the clinic when a coffee beverage

is purchased from the kiosk.

Erickson said the relationship is an

example of how the community can work together.

“This really supports our mission of

community awareness,” Erickson. “It’s great to get a business

involved. The bottom line is that this is helping increase the

number of people we can help.”

The Pin and Cue restaurant and others

have started serving Shepherd’s Hand blend. It’s a partnership

Erickson would like to see expand.

“We’re hoping restaurants will use our

blend for a month and put out our brochures,” she said. “It’s about

creating community awareness.”

The clinic has seen a 30 percent

increase in its patients because of economic conditions. For about

two-thirds of those who visit the clinic, it’s their primary place

for health care and two-thirds of the clinic’s patients suffer from

chronic health diseases.

The clinic has begun a fundraising

drive for a permanent endowment to provide long-term support. The

goal is to raise $1 million by 2015 for the Shepherd’s Hand

Fund.

The Shepherd’s Hand blend coffee can be

purchased at Montana Coffee Traders, Third Street Market, Nelson’s

Ace Hardware, at the Pin and Brew and at Christ Lutheran

Church.

For more information on the clinic,

call 260-3502 or visit www.shepherdshand.com.