New Avenue Foundation and the Tree of Life Church have a team/committee who work on ways to keep our guests safe and to structure and expand the coffeehouse ministry. We have been going strong for over 9 years and do not plan to stop. But we could use some help financially and with volunteers. If you are interested, please contact Kate or Jim. Thank you.
We welcome everyone to Our Community Cup Coffeehouse! It’s a great place to have fun, enjoy music and make friends. Please contact Kate via her email below for information on joining. We’d love to have you join us!
Here’s what to expect each week. Please read carefully:
- Our Community Cup continues its commitment to be a healthy space for those who attend. We no longer require people to wear face masks when they attend but we continue to provide masks for those who wish to wear them.
- Doors open at 6 p.m. each week. Activities begin at 6:30. Music begins at 7:15.
- Hot and cold drinks and a light, healthy snack will be served each week.
- Coloring pages and card games are always available for those who like to keep busy!
With all that said, we have some great plans in place for our upcoming events! We have lined up some wonderful music and the Our Community Cup Team has planned lots of fun activities. If you would like to see some photos from our coffeehouse events, please visit these links:
Here’s the activities and performers schedule for the next several months:
April 5 – Celebrate April Fool’s Day and April birthdays and music with Art Miron
April 12 – Bingo and music with Mike McDevitt
April 19 – Plant a flower for Earth Day and music with John Costello
April 26 – Silver Wind Karaoke / Open Mic
May 3 – Baldwin B-Flats
May 10 – Art Miron and Millard Brown
May 17 – One Lane Bridge
May 24 – George Harrison and Jeff Lownes
May 31 – Silver Wind Karaoke/Open Mic
June 7 – Barry Goldstein
June 14 – Paul and Mary Good Music Ministry
June 21 – Shakey Lyman
June 28 – Silver Wind Karaoke/Open Mic
July 12 – Mike McDevitt
July 19 – Paul T. Wentworth
July 26 – Silver Wind Karaoke/Open Mic
CLOSED for the MONTH of AUGUST!
We have additional activities that can be used while sitting at the tables in addition to the coloring books and card games – play doh and pipe cleaners along with some adult mind-teaser type puzzles that can be used by people who are visually impaired.
If you have any questions, please contact Kate McShane at treeoflifeddm@gmail.com or Jim Wurster at jim@newfdn.org.
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU!
We have started streaming our Friday night events again on Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/james.wurster.
Check out https://www.facebook.com/ourcommunitycup/ for updates.
On Friday nights all year long, and for over 8 years, New Avenue Foundation and Tree of Life Church have built a community of giving and caring around our families and caregivers. By creating a communal space, we have provided opportunities for the building of friendships and just having a night out from the daily routine and being with others. Our Community Cup Coffeehouse hosts weekly Friday nights of fun, food, festivities and fellowship, while listening to great live music provided by local musicians. We didn’t realize at first how the musicians would support our mission. They are in with us all the way. They are so loving and caring of all who attend. And so our family has grown. Our venue is a great place for everyone to enjoy a night of fun with others in a community setting.
As a way of saying thank you to the musicians who have played and will play for us, we will provide you with a tax deductible receipt for the value of your performance since New Avenue Foundation is a registered public charity. Please contact us so we can do this for you.
Our coffeehouse was mentioned in a recent article These are places of grace for people with disabilities by Ronnie Polaneczky.
New Avenue Foundation has a micro coffee roasting business to help with our mission to train and employ people with disabilities. The social enterprise is called Our Community Cup Coffee. We are roasting coffee at Media Bean Café, 204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square PA. We roast on Monday mornings from 10am to 12:30pm. Stop by if you want to learn about coffee roasting. We will have our coffee for sale at the Media Bean Café and DiFabio’s Restaurant and at other local places in Delaware County.
Here are some things people are saying about what we are doing at Our Community Cup.
“… thank you for all you have done for us and so many. Thank you for your unending support and kindness.”
“Thank you for all that you do to benefit so many. You have been a blessing …”
“Thanks for the great work you do for our community.”
“Thanks for the inspiration.”
“What a great day yesterday at “Share the Love Fest IV” with musicians (old friends and new) who have the biggest hearts and are always willing to jump in to support Our Community Cup Coffeehouse and New Avenue Foundation. Very special local artists they all are. Jim Wurster you are doing such important work for disabled adults, kids and their families. Thank you so much for what you do. Having grown up with a severely disabled older brother, who didn’t even have the legal right to an education because the law wasn’t in existence when he was a kid, it’s truly an honor for me to help out and support New Avenue Foundation.” Jeanette DiLuco
Our Community Cup is a welcoming place for all people. We are here first and foremost for those with disabilities and their families, but all are welcome. We believe that each person has value. We embrace differences of mental and physical ability, race and ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, age and religion. Whoever you are, you are welcome here!
Our Community Cup, a “pay what you can” coffeehouse, is an initiative of New Avenue Foundation and Princeton Presbyterian Church. Princeton Presbyterian Church has changed it’s mission to become more aware of people with differences. And it’s also changed its name to Tree of Life Church. We are still located at Tree of Life Church (formerly Princeton Presbyterian Church), 933 Baltimore Pike, Springfield PA 19064.
This year we are looking for sponsors to help continue and grow our mission at the coffeehouse. If you are interested, please contact us.
The Presbytery of Philadelphia knows that what we are doing is meeting a need and helping people feel valued. And an article was written about us in their Covenant Connections.
We started this coffeehouse primarily as an activity for people with disabilities, all disabilities, to attend. However, it is open to everyone. We want to help everyone respect each other’s differences. By bringing us all together, we will build a better community. We have had many singer/songwriters and bands who have expressed interest in performing at Our Community Cup coffeehouse. The church provides a small venue, seating a maximum of 100 people. Check out our FAQs page to find out more.
The coffeehouse includes activities and free time with an emphasis on promoting an environment that will encourage social interaction, cooperation, and fun. In a true coffeehouse spirit, there will, of course, be live music. As the performers start to sign up for certain dates, their biographies will appear on the Performers page.
We provide a social venue for you to share and enjoy the company of others while doing things that you like. Maybe play a game, chess, checkers or Magic or other card game. Please bring your favorite game to share. Feel free to sing along or just listen to the music.
We do not charge a fee but rather provide this experience in the gift economy. Please come and participate and share a gift with us according to your ability as a symbol of gratitude. The relationship we have with you is based on trust, which we need more of in our world. You trust us to provide a worthwhile experience and we trust that you will support us. We set a suggested amount for each event but then allow you to give whatever amount you feel that you can afford. You will determine what value our coffeehouse can provide to you.
So that everyone can get the most out of their experience at the coffeehouse, there will only be one rule that everyone must follow and that is the Golden Rule:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
We are open every Friday night except for holidays. Hope to see you soon!
If an event is canceled, primarily because of weather (like snow), we will notify those who have signed up. Your donation for that event will be transferred to when the event is rescheduled or to another event of your choice. Please call Jim at 610-328-3824 or 610-246-8939 (cell) with questions.
How to find us
If you can get to the Route 109 bus, you can get to our coffeehouse. Here are some links.
Public Transportation Route 109
Bus Schedules
Regional Rail
A “moment” – what is a moment? So many of us are looking for something; a job, a friend, happiness. But what do they all have in common – they all start with a “moment”. Without that moment or opportunity, a dream or wish will never happen. While at Grace Otley’s fundraiser one Saturday, I wondered why the musicians came to sing only one song. Then, I realized it was a “moment”, their moment. It was something that may never come again.
So, I’ve been thinking what can I do to provide a “moment”. In the past year at our coffeehouse, we were blessed with our helper Rebekah being a talented musician and always opening up for the main performer. We don’t have this any more since she moved on to her career. How about if I open up this spot to anyone who would like to come to our coffeehouse on a Friday night around 7:00pm. This will sort of be an open mic, and you will have 15-20 minutes to play.
If you like this idea, please email or message me that you would like to have “this moment”.
Our coffeehouse is partially funded by a grant from The Presbytery of Philadelphia. Our 2nd year grant is helping us continue. This past year they did a story about their outreach and we are proud to be part of it.
Being able to spend my time at the coffeehouse this past year has been such an amazing experience for me. What you have created is truly special. It means so much to so many different people. This experience has helped me grow as a person. I am so grateful to have had it. Thank you so much for all that you do! I’ll miss everyone!
Rebekah Worley
Our Community Cup Coffeehouse is a social and entertainment venue which provides interaction and growth opportunities through meals, music, and activities. Our friendly atmosphere includes live entertainment––the perfect alternative to sitting at home on a Friday night.
We encourage community participation during our weekly events. Come with a pre-made dish, or offer your help. We understand and accept all differences, so please help us bring out the music that we know is within everyone.
You are invited to our coffeehouse experience. The cost is a donation––you decide the value of a safe, convenient night with your friends each week. Please contact us for more details.
We’ve had a great 8 years. It’s well exceeded our expectations. We typically have a yearly music festival to celebrate our birthday. It is called Share the Love Fest. We haven
t done one in a few years but hope to do one in 2024.
Check out this article in the Delco Times about our 2016 event.
Check out this recent article in The Swarthmorean.
We are looking for partners and supporters for this venture. And we are always looking for musicians.
You know the world can see us, In a way that’s different than who we are — “Breaking Free” was written by Eigner, Christian / Knechtova, Katarina / Smith, James Sutherland. Jamie Houston was the composer.
