Tucked into a suburban Chicago train station may appear to be an unassuming coffee shop. But what’s going on behind the scenes is much more than just your average cup of Joe.
For the seventh year in a row the shop’s owner Pilot Pete, a.k.a. Peter Thomas, has been the driving force behind ‘Coffee With a Purpose’, an annual community initiative that collects and distributes coats and other necessities to help the local homeless population brave the harsh Midwest winters.
Thomas says the idea came to him when he was trying to find a way to give back to the community as well as get others involved. He admits he was initially unprepared for the positive avalanche of responses. In the weeks prior to Christmas in the drive’s first year, he and other volunteers took in 3,000 coats.
Parksville, BC, Canada / The Lounge 99.9
Mar 5, 2021 1:55 PM
Tucked into a suburban Chicago train station may appear to be an unassuming coffee shop. But whatâs going on behind the scenes is much more than just your average cup of Joe. For the seventh year in a row the shopâs owner Pilot Pete, a.k.a. Peter Thomas, has been the driving force behind âCoffee With a Purposeâ, an annual community initiative that collects and distributes coats and other necessities to help the local homeless population brave the harsh Midwest winters. Thomas says the idea came to him when he was trying to find a way to give back to the community as well as get others involved. He admits he was initially unprepared for the positive avalanche of responses. In the weeks prior to Christmas in the driveâs first year, he and other volunteers took in 3,000 coats. This year, for drive number seven, Thomas and crew helmed the Coffee With a Purpose command center from the back of a 26-foot