HOUSTON – ‘Til everyone is free - that’s the motto at a coffee shop in the Heights called A 2nd Cup. Director of Operations Chasiti Mosely and Director of Programs Kathryn Rogers shared how both the motto and name are inspired by its mission to end human trafficking and give survivors a second chance at a bright future with every cup they serve.
“It’s very different than any other coffeeshop that you’ve ever visited because it is a nonprofit,” said Mosely. “I knew that I wanted to do my work in a more purposeful way, and that’s when I found A 2nd Cup. I realized what they were doing in the community, and I absolutely fell in love with it.”
A 2nd Cup was founded in 2011 by Erica Raggett, a former educator who was inspired to open the nonprofit after realizing the danger human trafficking imposed on her students. According to Rogers, their mission is three-fold: to educate, partner and provide.
“Everything we do ties back to our mission, and we invest all of the dollars through donations and sales in our shop to advocating for survivors in our community and bringing and end to this issue,” said Rogers.
While Houston is a great city, Rogers explains that some of the things that make it a desirable place to live also contribute to it being a hotspot for human trafficking.
“Houston, you’ll often hear it referred to as a hub of human trafficking,” said Rogers. “We have major transportation thoroughfares like the I-10 highway that goes across the country. We are a port city. We share an international border, and we have an international airport, so traveling in and out of Houston is not hard to do. We also are a really diverse city, which is a beautiful thing about our community, but it makes it easier for people who look different to blend in.”
But the team at A 2nd Cup also says that Houston is a hub of anti-trafficking as well due to of the numerous people and organizations within the city that are dedicated to fighting back.
“It was the community that put the shop together. The paint that you see on the walls, all of the different things, the elements of the coffeeshop, it was our community that came together and made that happen...We couldn’t be more grateful for them,” said Mosely.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and A 2nd Cup is asking the community to participate in its #31 Audacious Days campaign to work towards a brighter future where everyone is free. All month long they will be sharing ways that everyone can take action and learn.
“It all boils down to education and awareness,” said Mosely. “If you’re not aware of what’s going on in your city, then you can’t do anything about it...So, I would just encourage people to educate themselves [and] a coffeeshop is a perfect place to bring communities together for awareness and also to learn about our mission.”
To learn more about A 2nd Cup’s mission, click here.