Over spring break, I got the opportunity to go on an ico trip to Aliquippa and we worked with Uncommon Grounds Café, located in downtown Aliquippa. We spent the day working in the café, helping to clean up the kitchen, garden, and behind the store. When we had some free time, we would sit and hear stories about people who came into the café and how they continued to come back, and later gave their life to Christ.

Uncommon Grounds Café is a ministry focused on reaching the least, the last, and the lost with the gospel of Christ through listening and offering dignity. They believe that no matter what religion you are or beliefs you have, you walked through the doors for a reason. The reason might be because you were hungry, wanted a drink, or that you felt something telling you to go there. No matter the reason behind why someone goes, they focus on creating community in the café, helping people go from being or feeling isolated to having a familiar face to come visit and a sense of community. Their motto is “Christ, Coffee, Culture”. They want to help people develop a personal relationship with Christ, without pushing it on them or feeling uncomfortable. They do this by having meaningful conversations with people who walk into the café and offering different events to meet more people. They have open mic nights, meetings for AA and NA, Bible studies, and so much more.

Another cool aspect of the café is about serving customers well and giving them a good experience. When creating the café and choosing to be located in Aliquippa, to better serve the community, they had to take into consideration the economy there. Aliquippa was once a booming area of Pittsburgh, PA but when the steel mills closed, the town started to decline. Since the steel mills closed, the poverty rate has increased to almost 30%. This made the café change their prices. They price their food and drinks at a low rate to help people in the community afford good food without having to worry about money. They care more about people having a positive experience there and feeling safe and welcome, rather than how much profit they make. Uncommon Grounds Café creates a loving community-focused place to make people feel comfortable and get to know who God is.