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Holy Joe's Café extends extravagant welcome to troops

> Written by Jeff Woodard
> November 10, 2009

It's no exaggeration to say Holy Joe's Café has helped U.S. military
personnel overseas a ton in the past 3 1/2 years. In fact, it's a
gross understatement.

Founded in June 2006 by Thomas Jastermsky, a deacon at First
Congregational UCC in Wallingford, Conn., Holy Joe's has now supplied
112 tons of coffee to troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

"We have had 405 chaplains assisting us in serving 120 locations in
Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait," says Jastermsky, noting the increase in
locations, from 95 last year. Someone is always stepping up to the
plate to deliver generous amounts of "joe." In September, one of the
heavy hitters was Green Mountain Coffee, giving 1,000 pounds in that
month alone.

One of the prominent players thus far has been the Tar Heel state,
says Jastermsky. "North Carolina has been really, really important to
Holy Joe's." Trinity Reformed UCC in Conover, N.C., is a caffeinated
case in point.

"For us, it was about being supportive of our chaplains and other
military personnel in Kuwait, Afghanistan or Iraq," says the Rev. Tom
Hamilton, a Trinity member and retired Associate Conference Minister
from the Central Atlantic Conference. "We could be divided about
whether to support the war, but there was no division as to whether to
support our troops."

Hamilton said his friend the Rev. John Gundlach, UCC Minister for
Government Chaplaincies, notified him when Holy Joe's was in its early
stages. "He asked if this was something our congregation would be
interested in supporting," says Hamilton, "and we have shared this
with several churches since then."

Emphasizing Holy Joe's impact on mission fulfillment at Trinity
Reformed UCC is at the heart of everything Hamilton says on the
subject. "This is so meaningful to the individuals of our church and
meaningful in terms of general rapport with one another. It has given
us another piece of good news to talk about ? what binds us together,
as compared with the opposite."

That shared support is galvanizing the congregation even further.
"We're making plans to give additional support at the conclusion of
this year or the beginning of next year," says Hamilton. Averaging 150
in weekly worship attendance, Conover has been supporting Holy Joe's
to the tune of $2,000 to $3,000 a year.

Holy Joe's Café continues to reach out to all troops overseas ?
especially the significant number who have had little church
background or spiritual development. Jastermsky says the uplifting
effect is perhaps most pronounced in combat hospitals in Iraq and
on-site "decompression models" where soldiers can speak one-on-one
with chaplains.

The café has been extending more widely across ecumenical lines, more
deeply into all corners of the country. One example is tiny Hope
Congregational Christian Church in Clio, Ala. The 46-member church ?
averaging a weekly worship attendance of 35 ? has been giving $200 a
month to Holy Joe's for the past year.

In addition to receiving direct funds from churches, Holy Joe's is
aided by donors participating via UCC-sponsored Equal Exchange, which
ships the coffee overseas.

No Trinity members are currently engaged in active military duty
overseas, says Hamilton. But spiritual ties to all who are serving are
strong. "We register lists of names of persons serving in the
military; it could be a relative or family member of a church member."
Hamilton also notes that the Rev. John Bailey, of Brick UCC in
Whitsett, N.C., is a Southern Conference representative serving as a
chaplain in Iraq.

Now 76, Hamilton has been a member of Trinity for 12 years, with a UCC
affiliation that dates to his boyhood. He's seen a great deal of good
work accomplished in his church. Participation in Holy Joe's Café has
not been the least of them.

"It's something special to keep a part of our life."

Jeff Woodard is a regular contributor to United Church News.