When you buy a bag of Serenity Shore Coffee, 40% of the profit goes directly to organizations fighting human trafficking — not someday, not after we hit a sales goal, but with every single purchase. Here's exactly how that works, why it matters, and what your morning cup is actually doing in the world.
More Than a Good Cup of Coffee
I want to be honest with you about something: there are a lot of great coffee companies out there. Small-batch roasters, ethically sourced beans, beautiful packaging — the options are endless. So when I tell you that what makes Serenity Shore Coffee different isn't just the coffee, I mean it.
The coffee is great. Real care is put into every blend, every roast level, and every bag. But the reason Richard and I started this brand was never to simply add another coffee option to the market. We started it because we needed a vehicle — a repeatable, sustainable, everyday way to fund the fight against one of the most horrifying crimes on the planet.
Coffee became that vehicle. And here's how it actually works.
The 40% Model — In Plain Terms
Every time a bag of Serenity Shore Coffee is purchased, we calculate the profit from that sale and give 40% of it to anti-trafficking organizations doing rescue and restoration work on the ground.
Let's be clear about what profit means here, because language matters: 40% of profit, not 40% of the sale price. Profit is what's left after the cost of roasting, packaging, and getting the product to you. That's the number we give from. It's a real, meaningful share — not just a marketing line.
If you want the full story of how we landed on 40% specifically — including a man who was clinically dead for 40 minutes and what God spoke to us through that morning — that's all in Why 40%? The Radical Generosity Behind Our Mission. But the short version is this: it wasn't a business decision. It was a conviction.
What That Money Actually Funds
The 40% goes to organizations doing the hard, unglamorous, absolutely essential work of rescue and survivor restoration. That includes:
Rescue and removal — getting people out of trafficking situations, which often requires cooperation with law enforcement, safe houses, and trained advocates who know how to approach these situations without making them more dangerous.
Safe housing — because you can't begin to heal if you don't have somewhere safe to sleep. Many survivors come out of trafficking with nowhere to go. Safe, stable housing is often the first step toward everything else.
Counseling and trauma care — trafficking is a profound trauma. Survivors carry it in their bodies and their minds, and real recovery requires real, sustained mental health support from people trained to walk alongside them.
Job training and life skills — restoration means rebuilding the practical tools survivors need to support themselves independently: job skills, financial literacy, legal navigation, and the confidence to step into a future defined by who they are, not what was done to them.
Long-term support programs — because none of this happens in a week or a month. Restoration is a road, and the organizations we support are committed to walking it with survivors for as long as it takes.
We'll be spotlighting specific partner organizations in upcoming posts, because we believe transparency about where this money goes is just as important as giving it.
Why a Subscription Changes Everything
A single bag of coffee makes a real contribution. But a monthly subscription? That's something else entirely.
Restoration programs live and die by consistent, predictable funding. One-time donations spike and drop. Subscriptions create a steady baseline that lets these organizations actually plan — hire staff, maintain facilities, commit to a survivor's long-term care without wondering if next month's funding will show up.
That's why reaching 4,000 monthly subscribers is the goal we're building toward. Four thousand people, giving consistently every month through their morning coffee habit, creates the kind of sustained support that one-time purchases simply can't match. Every subscriber becomes part of an army — small individually, but powerful collectively.
If you haven't subscribed yet, that's the single most impactful thing you can do with your coffee purchase. Same great coffee, same doorstep delivery, far greater collective impact.
The Scale of What We're Up Against
According to the International Labour Organization, forced labour and human trafficking generate $236 billion in illegal profits every year. That's not a typo. $236 billion — more than the GDP of most countries on earth — flowing into the pockets of people who exploit and enslave other human beings.
We're not naive enough to think one coffee company ends that. But we believe what David believed when he picked up his sling: that being outsized by the giant doesn't mean being outmatched by God. We bring what we have. We give what we can. And we trust that an army of people, each doing their small part with their morning cup, adds up to something the enemy doesn't see coming.
What You Can Do Right Now
Buy a bag. Every purchase contributes to the 40%. If you haven't tried Serenity Shore Coffee yet, start there.
Subscribe. Monthly subscriptions are where the sustained impact lives. You get fresh coffee delivered to your door, and your giving becomes consistent and cumulative.
Share the mission. Every person who learns about Serenity Shore Coffee is a potential subscriber, partner, or advocate. Word of mouth — telling a friend, sharing a post, leaving a review — costs you nothing and could bring another person into this fight.
Host a coffee tasting. We'll be writing more about this soon, but gathering your small group, church, or community around a table and introducing them to Serenity Shore Coffee is one of the most powerful things you can do. One tasting can turn one subscriber into twenty.
This Mug's on a Mission
There's a second tagline we carry: This Mug's On A Mission! It's a little bold, a little fun — and completely serious. The mug on your counter this morning is doing work you might not have signed up for knowingly, but that we hope you'll be proud to be part of.
Every sip funds a fight. Every bag builds a future. Every subscriber joins an army.
Thank you for being part of this.
Quick Takeaways
- 40% of profit from every bag of Serenity Shore Coffee goes to anti-trafficking organizations doing rescue and restoration work — with every purchase, not just periodically.
- "Profit" means after costs — it's a real, meaningful share, not a marketing footnote.
- The 40% funds rescue, safe housing, counseling, job training, and long-term support programs for survivors.
- Monthly subscriptions create the consistent, predictable funding that restoration programs depend on to plan and operate long-term.
- The goal of 4,000 monthly subscribers represents a sustained army of supporters giving through their everyday coffee habit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does buying coffee help fight human trafficking? Serenity Shore Coffee donates 40% of its profits to anti-trafficking organizations with every purchase. The funds support rescue operations, safe housing, trauma counseling, job training, and long-term restoration programs for survivors.
Is it 40% of the price I pay or 40% of profits? It's 40% of profit — the amount left after production and fulfillment costs. This is a real, significant share, not a percentage of a few pennies per sale.
Where does the money actually go? The 40% goes to organizations working in survivor rescue and restoration. We'll be spotlighting specific partner organizations in future posts as part of our commitment to transparency about how funds are used.
Why does a monthly subscription matter more than a one-time purchase? Restoration programs need consistent, predictable funding to operate. Monthly subscriptions create that steady baseline, allowing organizations to plan long-term care for survivors rather than operating month to month on unpredictable donations.
What is the scale of human trafficking globally? According to the International Labour Organization, forced labour and human trafficking generate $236 billion in illegal profits globally every year — a 37% increase since 2014.
What else can I do besides buying coffee? Subscribe for monthly deliveries, share Serenity Shore Coffee with your community, host a coffee tasting, or partner with us for church or school fundraisers. Every person you bring into this mission multiplies the impact.
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.
