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Non-Profit Cafe Helps Communities Across the Globe Cafe Helps Communities Across the Globe

By Maya Pow

Reporter: The Hope Cafe and Tea House is a Peruvian, Italian and American fusion cafe in Liverpool. Heather Jones has worked there for the last year and says she loves the family dynamic the cafe has.

Jones: They’re my friends, family, slash coworkers.

Reporter: One of the people that fosters the home-like feeling is cafe founder Matthew Cullipher. Cullipher has set his life towards serving others, in fact, 100-percent of the cafe’s profits are donated to The People Project. That’s a nonprofit that funds educational resources for children in extreme poverty in 13 different countries.

Cullipher: Even though I’m making a quarter of what I used to make, my life is far more fulfilling and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. You can make money anytime but this is the time for us to do this.

Reporter: Nicholas Magero (MAH-GEH-ROH) called in all the way from Kenya and says he knows the impact of the Hope Cafe. He manages a school and health clinic and gets funding for food, water and clothes from Cullipher. Magero (MAH-GEH-ROH) says he’s grateful Cullipher can help him pursue his passion of helping others.

Magero: He used to donate funds so that maybe we can buy food for the children and use it to do whatever we can do for the people here. He has really changed my life.

Reporter: Jane Adasa (AH-DAH-SAH) is based in Zambia and offers free education. Adasa asked Cullipher for help on Facebook and says she’s forever grateful she did.

Asada: When Matthew and People Project came in, they made things easy for us. I’m thankful to God that I’m happy to meet Matthew.

Reporter: Cullipher says he encourages everyone to support and volunteer at nonprofits. He says he knows first hand that ten dollars or even two hours of your time can make a difference, and you might even end up in a place like this. Maya Pow, N-C-C News.

By Maya Pow SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)- The Hope Cafe in Liverpool is a fusion restaurant that the Central New York community visits often for food like breakfast sandwiches, lattes and empanadas. What’s extra special about this cafe is that all of its profits are donated to The People Project, a non-profit that aims to fund educational resources for children in poverty across the world.

Not only did Matthew Cullipher start the cafe, but he also started the non-profit. He started in 2005 to help create a tuition-free school in Peru and the organization has now expanded to 13 nations. Some of the countries include Kenya, Pakistan and Zambia.

“The need was just too great to serve others in this community and serving God was just too heavy. We couldn’t put it off. It was like you can make money anytime but this is the time for us to do this,” said Cullipher.

Cullipher originally worked in software but quit his job to focus on the cafe, he went two years without receiving any salary while working 90-100 hours a week for the sake of keeping the cafe and non-profit afloat.

“Even though I’m making a quarter of what I used to make, my life is far more fulfilling and I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” said Cullipher.

While the People Project is based in Syracuse and hosts events like Christmas drives for the local community, they also have current projects in four countries. They work with ground leaders to help provide funding for resources like clothes, food and water. Jane Adasa opened a free school in Zambia after her mother retired from teaching. Adasa said she was struggling to get started but got in contact with Cullipher and was saved.

“With COVID, it was hard for our sponsors Matthew and People Project to get enough funds to share with us but all in all, everything happened,” said Adasa. “We didn’t struggle because he was there for us.”

 

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