HERTFORD — The Brew 2 Rescue is a good place to pick up a steaming cup of coffee and pastries in the morning. It’s also a convenient, quiet place to grab lunch in the afternoon.
However, while having a coffee and sandwich shop in the downtown district makes Hertford a more pleasant place to shop or do business, the Brew 2 Rescue Cafe does much more.
Getting that cup of pick-me-up and a cannoli in the morning also provides a warm bed and hot meal for orphans at risk of being a human trafficking victim.
The Brew 2 Rescue is a unique nonprofit business set up by the Open Door Church in Edenton that’s dedicated to stopping the exploitation of children.
“We collect donations from customers, other churches, and the proceeds of this business,” says manager Sarah Burket. “The money goes to the church, which gives it to two organizations: an international group called New Hope Eurasia and a local shelter called Beloved Haven.”
New Hope Eurasia is a ministry that serves Eastern Europe by providing an orphanage for at-risk children and other critical relief work, including assisting refugees from the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
Beloved Haven is a northeastern North Carolina-based ministry that works with women and girls who are putting their lives back together after experiencing the horrors of human trafficking.
Burket said that having the shop open in town, even without the financial support provided to the human trafficking ministries, is essential for raising awareness of the issue.
“If it wasn’t for this place, a lot of people in this area would not know anything about human trafficking, what it is, how to prevent it, and what to look for,” she said. “I know I’m doing something good for the community.”
Human trafficking is the enslavement of adults and children for any number of reasons. Often, women and children are forced into sexual work, but others are used for labor and drug trafficking. Brew 2 Rescue concentrates on serving women and children who have been victimized, especially in the sex trade.
Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry that enslaves 40 million people around the world. Over 70% of human trafficking victims are women and girls. One in four are children.
Trafficking is possibly the darkest and most prominent criminal industry that nobody talks about. Burket said she’s had women and girls pass by the cafe, read the sign, and come in to share their stories of escape, redemption, and healing — something that makes the workday worth it.
But the cafe works because it is also a great place in downtown Hertford to grab a cup of coffee, breakfast, or lunch. Besides coffee, patrons can pick up breakfast burritos, bagels, and sweet potato biscuits before heading to work. For lunch, the cafe offers chef, southwest, taco, and garden salads. Customers can also build their own sandwiches from a choice of meats, breads, and veggies.
Brew 2 Rescue is located at 139 N. Church Street in Hertford. To find out more about the shop, visit www.brew2rescue@visitopendoor.com.
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