Serenity Shore Coffee didn't get its name from a boardroom. It got it from the water — from the way the shore has always made us feel still, free, and close to something bigger than ourselves. That feeling became the heartbeat of everything we do, and the mission behind it became the reason we do it at all.
The Shore Has Always Meant Something to Us
Richard and I got married in 2016 on Jekyll Island, right there on the Georgia coast. If you've been to Jekyll, you know it — the wide beaches, the quiet marshes, the ancient oaks draped in Spanish moss. It's a place that slows you down without asking permission.
That stillness stayed with us. Long after the wedding, whenever life gets loud or heavy, we find ourselves drawn back to the water. There's something about the shore — the rhythm of the waves, the salt air, the way the horizon stretches farther than you can see — that has a way of putting things in perspective. Of making you breathe deeper. Of reminding you that rest isn't weakness; it's restoration.
When it came time to name this brand, the shore was the only honest answer.
What the Name Carries
Serenity Shore Coffee isn't just a name we liked the sound of. Every word in it is intentional.
Serenity is what the shore offers — peace, stillness, the kind of quiet that settles your soul when the rest of the world won't stop moving. It's also what we want every morning cup to feel like: a few minutes that belong to you before the day takes over. It is also the feeling that we want every survivor of trafficking to feel because they need and deserve it.
Shore is the meeting place. It's where the water meets the land, where the journey ends and something new begins. For survivors of human trafficking coming out the other side of something unimaginable, that's exactly what restoration looks like — reaching the shore after a long and violent sea.
Coffee is the vehicle. Small-batch, carefully roasted, delicious coffee — the kind that fills your kitchen with that smell before the rest of the house wakes up. The kind that warms your hands on a cold morning and gives you that first quiet moment before the day begins. The kind that people have been gathering around for centuries because there's something about a good cup that slows everything down and brings people together. We love coffee. Genuinely, unashamedly love it. But more than that, we believe you deserve a cup that not only tastes extraordinary but does something extraordinary at the same time. Coffee gives us — and gives you — a way to contribute to the fight against human trafficking every single morning without changing your routine at all. You were already going to make a cup. Now that cup stands up for someone who can't stand up for themselves yet.
God gave us coffee. And we believe — we know — that our God can do more with coffee than most people would dare to imagine, because He is bigger than this crime. He is bigger than human trafficking. And He has a habit of using the ordinary things in ordinary people's hands to accomplish the extraordinary.
Together, Serenity Shore Coffee is a picture of what we're working toward: peace at the end of the storm, and a vehicle to help get people there.
"Breathe Deep. Sip Slow. Live Free."
Our tagline isn't decoration. It's a declaration — and a contrast.
Every morning, those of us who get to sit quietly with a cup of coffee are living something that survivors of trafficking have had stripped from them. The freedom to breathe deep. The freedom to slow down. The freedom to just live, without fear, without chains, without someone else controlling every moment.
When you purchase a bag of Serenity Shore Coffee, you're contributing to an army of resistance against that darkness which is human trafficking. You're saying that freedom matters. That people deserve to breathe. That rest and restoration are worth fighting for.
We mean every word of it.
From the Shore to the Cup
The beach-inspired names and others you'll find across our product lineup — blends like Wave Rider, Sandcastle Sunrise, Beachside Boogie, Windsurfer, Coral Reef, and Mischievous Macaw — aren't random. They're a deliberate extension of the same feeling. Human trafficking is a hard, unpleasant thing to talk and hear about. We wanted the names to be fun, to put a smile on your face. We believe the mission - and you knowing that you’re fighting with us - will also put a smile on your face.
The Movement Behind the Mug
Here's the part that turns a beautiful brand into something with teeth: none of this exists just to sell good coffee. The shore imagery, the peace in the tagline, the carefully named blends — all of it is pointing at something. A mission. A fight.
Forty percent of our profits go directly to organizations working to rescue survivors of human trafficking and walk alongside them through the long road of restoration. That's not a footnote. It's the foundation. Every subscription, every bag, every gift order is part of that work. If you've read our post on why we give 40%, you know the number didn't come from a spreadsheet. It came from a conviction — and a morning neither of us will forget.
This mug's on a mission.
What Restoration Actually Looks Like
We use the word restoration a lot, because rescue is only the beginning. Getting someone out of a trafficking situation is critical — but what comes after that is just as important and far less talked about. Survivors need safe housing. They need counseling. They need job training, legal support, and time — time to become who they are rather than who they were forced to be.
That's what the 40% funds. Not just the dramatic rescue, but the quiet, steady, ongoing work of helping someone find their serenity.
A Georgia Brand With a Coastal Heart
We're Georgia people. Richard and I were both born and raised in Newton County, and our roots here run deep — in our community, our church, our businesses, our relationships. Serenity Shore Coffee was built right here, in this county, by two people who simply felt called to do something about something that breaks our hearts.
The shore is where we married, and where we found our peace, our calm, and our belief that everyone deserves serenity shore. It seemed only right that a brand born from that place should carry its spirit into every cup — and use that spirit to fight for the people who deserve to breathe deep, sip slowly and live free.
Welcome to the shore, Serenity Shore Coffee. We're glad you found us.
Quick Takeaways
- Serenity Shore Coffee takes its name and inspiration from the Georgia coast, where Richard and Wendy married in 2016 on Jekyll Island.
- The name is intentional: serenity reflects the peace the brand offers; shore represents the place of arrival after a long journey — a picture of restoration for trafficking survivors.
- The tagline "Breathe Deep. Sip Slow. Live Free.™" is a deliberate contrast to what trafficking victims are denied: rest, peace, and freedom.
- Beach-inspired blend names — Wave Rider, Sandcastle Sunrise, Beachside Boogie, and others — are an extension of the same coastal spirit.
- 40% of profits fund survivor rescue and restoration, not just a one-time rescue but the ongoing care survivors need to rebuild their lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the name Serenity Shore Coffee come from? The name is inspired by the Georgia coast, particularly Jekyll Island where Richard and Wendy Burnham married in 2016. The shore has always represented peace and restoration to them, which became the foundation for the brand's identity and mission.
What does the tagline "Breathe Deep. Sip Slow. Live Free.™" mean? It's both an invitation and a statement of purpose. It invites coffee drinkers to slow down and enjoy a moment of freedom each morning, while pointing to the freedom that trafficking survivors are denied — and that every purchase helps restore.
Why do so many Serenity Shore Coffee blends have beach-inspired names? The coastal theme is woven intentionally through every part of the brand. Blends like Wave Rider, Sandcastle Sunrise, and Coral Reef carry the same spirit of ease, freedom, and beauty that inspired the brand's name and mission.
What does restoration mean in the context of anti-trafficking work? Restoration goes beyond rescue. It includes safe housing, counseling, job training, legal support, and the time survivors need to rebuild a life on their own terms — and that long-term care is exactly what Serenity Shore Coffee's 40% giving model is designed to fund.
Is Serenity Shore Coffee only sold online? You can find our full lineup and subscribe to monthly deliveries at serenityshorecoffee.com.
About the Author
Wendy Burnham is a Newton County native, wife, mother, and grandmother of six. She co-owns three businesses with her husband Richard, including Serenity Shore Coffee, born from her conviction to fight human trafficking one cup at a time. A Rotarian with RAGAS (Rotary Action Group Against Slavery) and Walton County Chamber Ambassador, Wendy has trained with TAPESTRI, Wellspring Living, and NCMEC on trafficking awareness and prevention. Her heart is to equip families and communities to recognize, report, and respond to trafficking and violence.
