A 2nd Cup coffee shop works against trafficking

Raggett said providing after-care services like professional training workshops and group counseling is something she is excited to be doing at A 2nd Cup because she wants to prevent victims from re-entering the enslavement of human trafficking.

“The rate that survivors are lured back into a trafficking situation is astounding, like 96 percent,” Raggett said. “They don’t have all the things set up for them to protect them from being lured back in, so we want to help provide those things to help those numbers go down.”

Oertli said she thinks A 2nd Cup is a noble idea, but said she questions its effectiveness as a fundraising nonprofit.

“On this small scale, they may never be able to raise enough money to make a difference, but they have the potential to make the community aware of the problem,” Oertli said. “I think that the idea of this coffeehouse is sustainable because people like the idea of helping others, especially by doing something they already do every day — buy coffee.”

Currently, A 2nd Cup is only open on Tuesdays from 4-10 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its temporary home in The Vineyard Church, but Raggett said the board of directors is looking to find a permanent space so that the shop can be open full time within the next year.

For more information on A 2nd Cup and human trafficking, visit www.a2ndcup.com or 

www.facebook.com/a2ndcup.