COZZEE CHAT W/ CAUSE PARTNER MOLLY HEACOCK                                                                      

Hey everyone! We’re very excited to share with you Part I of an interview done by Cozzee’s very own Cause Director, Shannon Doyle Bell.  Shannon recently sat with our current Health and Healing Cause Partner, CARE for AIDS Communications Director, Molly Heacock. CARE for AIDS is currently in their second cycle as a Cause Partner with a goal of $500 to fund insurance protection for their AIDS clients in Kenya. How awesome to sip your cup of Cozzee coffee knowing you’re providing healthcare to these wonderful men, women, and children suffering in Kenya. Because of your purchase, you can improve their livelihood in a major way!

Shannon: Let’s tell our readers about our roles within Cozzee and Care for Aids. I began my journey with Cozzee as the Executive Producer of video and other media production. Now, I’m operating as Cause Director for Cozzee, creating partnerships with non­profits in our seven different cause areas. The causes were what initially motivated me to pursue this work, so I’m really excited about the role and the future of Cozzee. Can you talk about your role and responsibilities with Care for Aids?

Molly: Sure, that would be great. I am the Community Relations Director. I wear a bunch of different hats, but my main roles include: digital marketing, managing the website, helping with communication, events planning, measurement evaluation, church partnership, and foundation relations.

Shannon: Wow! That is a huge umbrella role right there! Fair to say you’re a little busy.

Molly: It’s a huge umbrella. Yes (laughs) a big job description. Never a dull day, that’s for sure.

Shannon: How do you balance that? I know on our end it can feel like we can never do enough, but we have to take the time to step away, and there’s always something to do.

Molly: It’s a hard balance. I think I’m still learning, but honestly when I get to spend some time in Kenya, it recharges me. Even though, every trip we take is jam-packed but being able to see the clients and the staff it just re­-energizes me to continue. Care for Aids is such a great organization. We really care about making the staff healthy and happy and sometimes stepping away from work is really good. Getting vacations in here and there helps too (laughs). A lot of times it doesn’t feel like work because I love all of the roles so much. In my most recent trip to Kenya ­ this past June (2015) – was awesome because this was the first time my husband was able to come with me. My college roommate from freshman year came as well, so it was a cool trip to be able to share the work firsthand with the people I really value in my life. So, that was fun. My husband was able to give out some certificates at graduation [Care for Aids gives certificates to clients who have completed the five- step program] and that was just really cool to see him interacting with the clients and he totally loved it.The most important part for me ­ I always love graduation, but home visits are part of what we do on our trips. We’ll take a day where we just go and visit clients in their homes and join their counselors for their monthly home visit and we get to hear their stories and make dinner with them, and be a part of their life for the better part of a day.

Shannon: What a great story. On our (Cozzee) end, we love that we’re able to support you guys. We see the photos and we read the stories, but I can imagine that actually coming face ­to ­face with a client is so great. We’re now in our second Cause Partnership cycle with you all. We are appreciative of the support you’ve given and the belief in what Cozzee’s trying to do. What was it about Cozzee that you felt it was a good direction for you to go in a Cause Partnership?

Molly: I love the idea of Cozzee because it’s a simple way for people to get involved with CARE for AIDS and with all of the causes. You all have a great product. I’m currently drinking the organic Ethiopian (Decaf Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe) and I love it! It’s my favorite coffee and I’ve become a coffee snob, because of Cozzee (laughs). I just love that’s it’s an entry ­point that is really unique, because people are going to buy coffee no matter what. You have such a great quality product that people would buy it regardless of the cause, but adding that in, is such a great business model, because you’ve got that double bottom-line. And people are able to read our story,­ people that we may not have been able to tell our story to, just through our marketing alone. They’re getting a product that’s really great, but they’re also getting to hear how they’re impacting the world through purchasing something with a greater good in mind. I just love the idea that people are going to buy coffee anyway and then infusing it with this global mindset of, what we purchase matters. I just love that concept.

Shannon: I know a lot of brands are jumping on the cause band wagon – so ­to- speak but I love that we have these specific cause areas, like Health and Healing, that’s specific to a cause area that someone might be most excited about. And now, talking more specifically about the project, to be able to provide someone healthcare for a client with AIDS is just awesome ­with just two bags of coffee. We have our goal of $500, and we’re now a little over $100 with a few more weeks to go. We’re encouraging folks to purchase the coffee. And with the discount through the rest of the cycle, through Thanksgiving with 15% (with promo code: cozzeecfa), that’s a good discount!

Molly: It’s awesome. I love that! I’ll buy some for my in-­laws.

Shannon: Yea, and with Thanksgiving I think it’s a great time to introduce it, if people haven’t had it yet, to have around your dinner table or with dessert. I’m hoping to be able to do the same with my family. Going back, the Ethiopian coffee, so you like it? I know you’d been waiting on it for some time.

Molly: Yes. I love it so much. I think in the last cycle I bought a bunch of Mexican Colima Naranjal, it was new at the time and that was fantastic too. And this cycle I bought some Ethiopian and I’m looovvving it, sooo good.

Shannon: How do you drink your coffee? How do you prepare it?

Molly: that’s a good question. I love French press but I’m the type of person that has three or four cups in the morning…

Shannon: Wow!

Molly: …So by the time I finish my first cup it’s always cold. So, though I love a French press, I actually prefer the old ­school percolator. You know the big silver– it looks like a teapot – we’re a big fan of those in my house, so we always have the percolator on and that’s how I’m drinking my Ethiopian.

Shannon: Wow, you’re a true coffee ­drinker! Three to four cups! Whew!

Molly: My husband is even worse than I am. (laughs)