Coffee shop employing people who are homeless set to open in Anoka this month

An Anoka church with a heart for the homeless is opening a new coffee shop that will employ people who don’t have a permanent place to live and give them skills to help them get on their feet.

As many as eight employees affected by homelessness will be on the payroll when Compassion Coffee opens in the space formerly occupied by Jellybean and Julia’s BBQ in a strip mall at 530 W. Main Street. The restaurant moved to Coon Rapids.

“Coffee brings people together,” said Rob Bergfalk, lead pastor of the namesake church behind the mission to empower the homeless. “People bond over coffee.”

Bergfalk had dreamed of opening a place where anybody and everybody could gather in a safe space and do life together since 2018. This spring, the day finally came. The church signed a lease in May and it’s been a whirlwind ever since, Bergfalk said.

Over the past four months, Bergfalk secured a $100,000 loan from the Christian Missionary Alliance District serving 50 churches in Minnesota and eastern North Dakota. Compassion Church is a member of the denomination. There have been fundraising efforts to raise $30,000 to help cover remodeling costs and operating expenses.

Members from Nowthen Alliance Church and the community have pitched in to donate time to demo the inside and put in new electrical, plumbing, walls and make other improvements to bring the space up to code. There are new countertops and an espresso bar. One company donated flooring.

“It’s providing essential jobs for the community, and that spoke to us,” said Taylor Pederson with Endless Poxybilities Concrete Coating, which donated flooring.

Bergfalk said the coffee shop is an outgrowth of a mobile coffee cart the church once used at civic events and in county buildings. Now the cart is primarily used for parties, weddings and school events, said Lillian Pringle, Compassion’s operations director.

Compassion Church takes its name from Matthew 9 where Jesus has pity and sympathy for those in need. That is the impetus for taking the bold step of opening a coffee shop to provide “excellent quality coffee,” and empower the homeless to reach their dreams, Bergfalk said.

Bergfalk will work with county programs such as Stepping Stone Emergency Housing and Hope4Youth to identify individuals who need jobs.

“If they want to go to school or open a barbershop, we’ll work alongside them,” Bergfalk said.

The coffee shop, which also will host church services and community events, is teaming with its neighbor, Krown Bakery & Eatery, to offer baked goods, which is excited to have a new neighbor,

“I think it will be good for the community,” said baker Derek Callender.

Bergfalk said he hopes to open Compassion Coffee by the middle of October.