If someone were to make a claim that the year 2020 A.D. will be remembered as one of the most mentally draining, soul-crushing, roller coaster rides of the century thus far.. What would you say to that?

My response would be simple; that statement doesn’t even begin to capture the scope of what has gone on this year.

This year has not been a forgiving one. I have seen this truth written on the faces of almost everyone I encounter by the day, whether they be friends or strangers. I can hear it in a sigh, hidden under the words, or in a laugh, of the strongest people I know. I can read the pain and struggle in the eyes of those with the kind, and fragile hearts that I care for. People have been put through real trials this year, and we aren’t even to the finish line yet. We may have another six months of this reality, before going back to what we once knew. So, what do we do now, but adapt?

Here at True, we never stopped. Not once. The roaster continued to spin, the beans made it to your brewers, and we hope that a smile made it to your face. Even the cafe, through a long year of uncertainty, managed to stay open for all of you to have as a beacon of hope when you needed something to pep you up; through a cup, or a conversation. We found peaceful moments in making new friends, by finding a little joy in a brief conversation with other essential workers out in the field (heck, even our competitors). We discovered the blessing of our work-family, as these days, the people in our little coffee world are likely the only family we get to see in-person anymore. And in all of this, we even found time to virtually reach out to a few farmers. We wanted them to know that we were still thinking about them, and that we were still working hard on our end to showcase their life’s work. In trying to maintain our sanity, we continued to adapt and keep ourselves busy with our work.

It is easy to get swept up in your own head, especially as the stress of what is going on in our community (local and globally) is a great deal of mental weight that can hold any of us down. The important thing that we have learned from this hard lesson, is that one person cannot do it alone. We have become reliant on one another here at True, more than ever before. There is a sense of security in knowing that there are arms to pick you up when you fall down, because often this year, it has felt like there is falling to be done everyday. In becoming stronger together, the thing that keeps us most motivated is being here for all of you. We are staying ‘Strong & True’ for the sake of our customers, our cafe partners, our grocers, our shippers and importers, and of course, our farmers. We wake up everyday, slam down some coffee, and bring you the excellence you desire to keep your spirits high. Just because we may be at the proverbial end of the world, doesn’t mean we can’t have spectacular coffee!

Thank you all for keeping this dream alive, and for always staying ‘True to the Bean.’ It means the world to us, and we hope you can taste the love in your cup!!!