Thrifty Foods is the first retailer on board to support Mustard Seed’s recovery program

Thrifty Foods employee Naomi Plourde is served a cup of Mustard Seed Coffee Co. brew by Allan Lingwood, Mustard Seed director of development, brew master Cody Smith and Corey Scott, director of category management and merchandise for Thrifty Foods on Monday at the Admirlas Walk location. Rick Stiebel/News Gazette staff

A new kind of coffee company aims to restore hope, build skills and raise money for the Mustard Seed’s Hope Farm Healing Centre.

Representatives of the Mustard Seed Street Church joined staff at Thrifty Foods at Admiral’s Walk on Monday in toasting the Mustard Seed Coffee Company. Thrifty Foods is the first retail partner involved in the launch of the new coffee. Proceeds will help individuals actively focus on improving their lives by instilling the confidence, resources and skills to succeed, said Allan Lingwood, director of development for the Mustard Seed Street Church.

Those involved in the program will produce Mustard Seed Coffee Company’s products that they have farmed and crafted at the Hope Farm Healing Centre. Proceeds will help promote and fund the farm, the Mustard Seed’s recovery program in the Cowichan Valley. Bruce Curtiss, executive director for the Mustard Seed Street Church, said the program will help foster the organization’s mandate to help recovering addicts regain their hope and dignity.

“There’s been a certain way that’s become the norm for helping recovering addicts,” Curtiss said. “We’re going to change that one bag of coffee at a time.”

Corey Scott, director of category and merchandising for Thrifty Foods, said the new program is a continuation of Thrifty Foods’ partnership with the Mustard Seed. “We’ve been working with them for 40 years since we first opened our doors,” Scott noted. “We are pleased to get behind such a good cause as the Hope Farm Healing Centre.”

The new coffee is through a partnership with Oughtred Coffee and Tea, which has been supplying Thrifty Foods for 20 years. “It’s a great whole bean coffee and a natural fit for what we do to assist the Mustard Seed,” Scott added.

The Hope Farm healing Centre facilitates physical, mental and spiritual recovery and restoration through a six-month residential program.

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