In 1999, a question posed by a Tanzanian Bishop to a Milwaukee Bishop, started the ball rolling. With the pastor's resolute "Yes, we'll buy your coffee," the Mount Meru Coffee Project was born.

Over the past 25 years, committed volunteers have managed the non-profit Fair Trade project, which imports 100% premium Arabica coffee from small-scale producers. Our Mount Meru Coffee Project pays the farmers more than the market price for their premium coffee—just under $200 a year on average.

That helps the people of the Meru region support their families with dignity, send their children to school, and obtain health care. Their best beans are shipped to Milwaukee, where Imperial Roasters stores them and roasts them, then delivers the coffee to Martin Luther Lutheran Church where our volunteers package and label them.