For 99 cents, shoppers can help fund a special needs school in Kenya, reduce waste and preserve their morning java – all at once – when they purchase a L.I.F.E. Jacket reusable cup sleeve, with any Allegro Coffee beverage at Whole Foods Market.

Every cent from each handmade canvas sleeve sold goes to nonprofit Comfort the Children International (CTC) to empower Kenyan mothers to earn a living and send their children to school. L.I.F.E. stands for Livelihood, Invest, Future, Empower - which is what the nonprofit aims to provide and do for the poor in rural Kenya.


In 2008, CTC founded the first school for disabled children in the Kenyan Rift Valley, where students have since learned to walk, read, write and enjoy a healthy environment with other children. CTC also added a tailoring room onto the school where the nonprofit is teaching mothers how to sew the L.I.F.E. Jackets and paying fair wages for their work. Through the program, mothers are regaining hope and self-respect, lifting their families out of poverty and – for the first time ever – sending their children to school.

Supporting CTC's efforts isn't the first partnership of its kind for Allegro. It has long been an active participant in the global community. In addition to ensuring responsible sourcing and equitable pricing, Allegro donates five percent of profits to communities where it buys its coffee and tea.