What is Coffee Connections about and why is it important?

When I first moved to Alamosa, I made myself a habit of physically walking into a coffee shop every morning to get my energy boost. It’s something I’ve always done ever since college- and it’s always felt like that simple act does more to start my day off right than the coffee itself (and if you know my relationship with coffee you know that’s a bold statement). To me this is the simplest representation of the essence of living in a smaller community. Seeing a familiar face, having people wave at you as they drive past- even something as simple as having a “usual” order. It wasn’t until 2020 that I finally realized the impact this had for me.

Now I’ll come back to that in a moment.. as you may be asking “what does that have to do with this event other than coffee is great?” Well here’s my take: For many years, businesses and leaders across the globe have been struggling to find solutions to a number of increasing challenges. Questions such as “why is burnout so high?” “why are people reporting that they are more anxious, more depressed, and generally feeling less fulfilled across industries?” Businesses want to know how to help recruit and retain employees and communities want to know how to entice new people to come and convince their youth to stay. A number of creative strategies have arisen. 4-day work week, hybrid or remote work, extended time off. All of them have nudged the needle in an ever-changing world, and yet- none of them fully solved any of these broader issues.

Many of these challenges had already been on the rise for years, but took a clear shove forward following the pandemic. So, a more powerful question arises.. “What have we learned since?”

Being shuttered indoors did a lot of things.. it started patterns of thinking around fear, uncertainty. Even blame and anger. These patterns take work to break. It made many more isolated than ever before, even when the doors reopened. It took a grave toll on mental health.. and priorities shifted. It also has led many to realize the importance of community and connection. Studies and observations in growing numbers continue to support the same findings- connection is the answer.

It's been found that volunteerism is one of, if not the greatest indicator for employee satisfaction. Something that has absolutely nothing to do with someone’s actual workplace. Isn’t that fascinating? We so often refer back to work/life balance, which is so incredibly vital, but the image of a scale would also lead us to believe there are no connections between the two- yet they are inextricably linked.  Going a bit further, early groups of humans who worked together, had a higher proficiency in collaboration and helped one another had a greater chance of survival. They realized connection was the key.

So why Coffee Connections? When this event began, it did spring from an acknowledgement that starting the day in a coffee shop seemed to just be a positive experience that I wanted to share. As a Chamber, we wanted a low-stakes opportunity for people to come and learn about what we do. While it still certainly fulfills that role, I believe its true purpose is a lot deeper. It’s what always drew me to that habit in the first place: Connection is the point, and it makes a difference. Come as you are, stay for 5 minutes or an hour. Talk about your business, or just tell us your story. We’ll be there every Thursday, 9-10 am, and everyone is welcome. I truly hope to see you there.

Erin Keck

Alamosa County Chamber of Commerce