Mission United Reserve Collaboration
For three months, Commander Coffee and United Way of the CSRA, specifically the Mission United branch, got together and collaborated on a coffee blend, specific to their campaign, and hosted a series of events and tastings to promote the coffee. Why? At Commander Coffee, we always say “Roasted to Serve’, which means using our resources to give back to our community and for this collaboration, support our local CSRA veterans in need. So, we teamed up with Mission United on a coffee collaboration blend: Mission United Reserve. For each bag sold, 20% of that sale goes directly to Mission United to support their efforts. This collaboration represents our small contribution to a much larger mission: honoring and supporting those who have served.
What is Mission United?
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The veteran-services arm of United Way of the CSRA
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Their work: connecting veterans, service members, and their families to housing, financial, and wraparound support
Why Mission United?
Mission United exists to help veterans, active duty service members, and their families move from military to civilian life and connect to the services and opportunities they’ve earned. Every dollar raised through Mission United Reserve feeds directly into that mission:
● Transition to civilian life: Help veterans adjust to civilian life and overcome the obstacles that come with it.
● Connect to services: Link veterans and their families to essential services — health care, education, housing, and financial assistance.
● Build a network: Create a lasting network of support around veterans and their families, not a one-time handoff.
● Identify and close gaps: Surface where veterans are falling through the cracks in access to health care, education, and stability assistance, and act on it.
● Create systemic change: Push for lasting improvements in how the veteran services system works, so fewer veterans fall through the cracks in the first place.
Result of Campaign (To Date)
173 bags sold, resulting in $692 raised for Mission United’s veteran programs.
Community Direct Outcomes/Impact:
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Mission United Reserve campaign connected veteran owned small businesses, such as Elemy’s Bagels, creating a small business community fostering support for local veterans.
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ADP military veteran employees organized and led their own headquarters event, connecting a United Way corporate partner into an active advocate for the Mission United Reserve Campaign.
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Sales across retail, online, cross-business, and corporate support made veteran support more visible in everyday community spaces, increasing the overall visibility for veteran support connections and services.
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20% of every Mission United Reserve Blend bag sale went directly to Mission United’s rent, utility, and wraparound assistance programs for veterans and their families.
Why does this matter?
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Awareness and Visibility: Each bag sold increases the chance of a veteran or their families finding Mission United and connecting to services, such as housing, healthcare, education, financial assistance through Mission United’s community network.
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Corporate and small business collaboration with the Mission United Reserve campaign expands the potential reach for veterans and their families to learn about Mission United and their services, which expands the number of veterans and supportive people who know to dial 2-1-1 for a veteran in need.
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Direct Funding: Every bag sold directly adds to Mission United's pool of funds for veterans and their families needing rent assistance, utility assistance, and other veteran-specific needs that may not be covered through other assisting programs. Mission United uses each dollar donated to fund their mission of connecting veterans, service members, and their families to housing, financial, and wraparound support.
*Information received directly from the Mission United Reserve Community Partnership Impact Summary created by United Way of the CSRA: Mission United