VILLAGE OF HOPE: Enjoy coffee and donuts while supporting a good cause
By Joan Janzen
Village of Hope in Eston opened its new cafe prior to Christmas. The bakery operation is now located in the cafe, and patrons are enjoying delicious baking, coffee, and visiting with friends.
Proceeds from the cafe support the operation of Village of Hope, a registered charity funded by donations that offers a ten-month residential Christian drug and alcohol regeneration program.
Landon (left) and Josh at the Village of Hope cafe in Eston, helped Dan Page from Rosetown with his purchase of baking. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
This mural decorates one of the walls in Village of Hope's cafe in Eston. It is a recreation of a 1937 photo of the town of Eston, created by Village of Hope's co-founder Mart Vahi. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN
The cheerful cashiers are both participating in the addiction recovery program. Josh Wahl has been at Village of Hope for two months, and Landon Saunders is getting close to his graduation day after being in the program for ten months. In addition to receiving emotional, physical, and inner healing, Josh, Landon, and their fellow participants are learning employment skills and gaining work experience and a good work ethic. All the teachers and leaders were once part of the program, including Dan, who does the baking, and the program director, Alex.
Josh said people in Eston are happy to have a place to hang out. "The older folks come in the mornings and afternoons for coffee. Every day we try something new. The other day, we got chocolate-covered donuts and maple donuts. We also do special orders," he explained. The coffee was on, and the shelves were filled with different kinds of bread and buns, cookies, danish, apple fritters, cinnamon buns and donuts.
The cafe's walls feature artwork and a mural by co-founder Mart Vahi, a recreation of a 1937 photo of the town of Eston.
"It's a great place to hang out with friends," Landon said. It's also a great way to support a charity and the men who are working hard to overcome their addictions and begin a new life.