31-03-2025
Mobile coffee trailer raising funds for hurricane recovery
BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL)— Rivers of Love, a local ministry in the Tri-Cities, is giving back to those impacted by Hurricane Helene by sharing its love for coffee.
Rivers of Love, a non-profit organization dedicated to community outreach, was established two years ago. In September, the focus of their outreach efforts shifted.
'When we started meeting the families that were devastated by the hurricanes, our heart was filled with compassion for the community,' Rivers of Love President Caleb Walker said.
Johnson County to distribute clothing, shoes to Helene victims Tuesday
Soon after the focus shifted, the group began brainstorming ways to continue giving financially.
'And we just started asking the question, 'what can we do as a church?'' Walker said. 'We had given everything that we could give financially, and we were just scraping the bottom of the barrel going, 'Lord, how will you provide? What can we do?''
Soon, the group came up with an idea to repurpose a part of their current outreach.
'We had this outreach trailer that we were going around the community already serving people from taking food to homeless shelters, things like that,' Walker said. And so we decided to turn it into a coffee trailer and use the gifts of two great leaders in our church.'
Those leaders were Jonathan and Bre Leverett, whom Walker describes as 'coffee extraordinaire. ' Jonathan said the goal of the trailer was to make the donations a mutual transaction.
'We thought it would be amazing to not only be able to ask people for a donation to help but to also give back,' Leverett said.
The trailer's expenses are paid for entirely by donations, but that hasn't stopped the public from giving.
'People have been coming and donating and give above and beyond the price of a normal coffee even,' Walker said. 'And it's just incredibly to see people's hearts be stirred.'
The trailer's main location is in Bristol, but they have also been setting up across the Tri-Cities, helping to expand their reach.
'We've got some stuff coming up with other churches that we've met along the way, 'Leverett said. 'We're going to be going out and serving the church to also be able to get donations and be able to serve the people.'
In the last few months, Rivers of Love has raised around $45,000, including the donations from the trailer. Leverett said this is only the beginning.
'I just hope the community can get behind what we're doing and can help us be able to get to the goal of being able to rebuild another home or at least help rebuild another home,' Leverett said. 'Because we do have people that are signed up and ready to go as far as like contractors even that are willing to go out and help us.'
Walker and Leverett said the goal is to expand the ministry to provide donations to overseas missions in the future.
Information about Rivers of Love Coffee can be found on their Facebook.
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