Rebuilding from the Grounds Up

I feel like the theme of my posts so far has been how rough 2016 was and how I weathered it. This is going to be another one of those posts. This post is going to focus on one of the best things that have come out of this year; my time volunteering at the Grounds Bookstore and Cafe (or the Grounds for short).

The Grounds was established in 2012 in Mecklenburg Community Church. One of the things that make the Grounds special is that almost everyone that works at the grounds is a volunteer. All of the profits from the grounds go to ministries both local and global. 

When I moved home in March of 2016 my parents had been attending Meck for a while and had joined a small group. One Sunday Alexis Dyre, who runs the Grounds, announced that they were looking for new volunteers. My parents imminently started nudging me and mouthing "you should do it".  After thinking and building up the courage ( because let's face it putting yourself out there is not easy and can be a lot for people who struggle with anxiety) I contacted Alexis and applied to be a volunteer.

 I started out as a Beverage Prep Barista(BPB), who are the people that assemble the drinks from meckaccinos to lattes to lemonades they pretty much do it all( except pulling the espresso shots, we have Espresso Baristas that do that.) which can seem very overwhelming especially on your first day. I would be lying if I said that I was never overwhelmed or felt even a little anxious. I've made drinks wrong and spilled things and have left covered coffee, syrup, and milk, but I would leave feeling so happy and with such a full heart. 

I am coming up on my one-year anniversary with the Grounds and I can't help but think about what my year at the Grounds had brought. This year brought: 

1. Comunity: When I came back home I found that I didn't really have a community at home at least not in the way I once had and definitely not like I had back at my university.  It was almost like starting over in my hometown..... it was weird.  I was lonely and in need of friends.  I needed to be around people that weren't my immediate family and my therapist. I also needed a place and thing to look forward to doing in the short term and that is what the Grounds became. It took a minute to build up relationships and the ones I have made have been wonderful and I hope will be long lasting. Going to the grounds feels like coming home in a way. It's a safe place. A happy place. 

2. Purpose: I know it might sound odd but for a while, I had nothing to do and going to the Grounds gave me a purpose to get out of bed and out of my head and what I was going though even if it was just for a few hours. I had a job to do and something to focus on. I had a team that was counting on me.

3. A greater appreciation for a cup of coffee:  If you know me you know that I love a good cup of coffee. My brother and I joke it's my life blood.  To me, a good cup of coffee is like a nice big warm hug especially when times were tough.  I never really thought or paid any attention to how my favorite drinks found their way to my hands. Now being the one behind the counter makes me savor the drink and thankful for the people that came to work and put whatever they had going on in their lives and made my drink that warms me through and through. 
So it's time to raise a cup of coffee and say cheers to the Grounds, here's to more cups of coffee. 

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