Our two main goals for Mission Roots Cafe are to raise maximum profits for the
charitable organizations we support whilst bringing awareness to conscious consumption, sustainability , and social justice within OKM and the surrounding community.
Mission Roots Cafe is a sustainable, not-for-profit, and student run cafe at Okanagan Mission Secondary School in Kelowna, British Columbia. This in-school cafe brings awareness to local and global issues, provides healthy and sustainable food options to students, and donates all profits to various charities that work to create positive social and environmental changes. Founded solely by students, the business is run by a diverse team of peer volunteers across the school.
All profits generated through the cafe go towards various charities, carefully selected based on transparency and traceable impact. In order to support a wide variety of initiatives, Mission Roots changes charities bi-yearly. Furthermore, the majority of these charities have headquarters located within the Okanagan Valley, encouraging a sense of community and more personal connections. The cafe's mantra is that the choices made by individuals and consumers have immense power. This is demonstrated through it's unique ‘choose-your-charity’ system. With each purchase, customers are given the opportunity to directly choose the cause that their money will go to. This creates an atmosphere of active decision making and meaningful conversation, while also leaving customers inspired and empowered with the choices they've made. At the end of each semester, the cafe donates its profits to each charity according to the choices of it's customers.
Where ever possible, Mission Roots displays techniques used to maximize it’s zero waste potential and minimize it's ecological footprint. In addition to using biodegradable cups and sleeves and composting all coffee grounds and filters, all traditional plastic stir sticks are replaced by spaghetti as an eco-friendly alternative and a great conversation starter! Sustainable habits are further promoted through the free loyalty card system that encourages customers to bring a reusable coffee mug and reduce single-use waste, creating an incentive for customers that choose to reuse. Additionally, the cafe strives to sell products that are plant-based, locally-sourced and are often organic, fair-trade, non-GMO, or B-corp certified.