$33,250 donated to the Claddagh Fund through collaboration mug sale
Watch our full interview with Mike Garafolo and Lee Rodriguez from the John Flower’s Men’s Recovery Home, who works with the Claddagh Fund, below.
Celtic punk-rock band the Dropkick Murphys and Death Wish Coffee Co., makers of the World's Strongest Coffee, recently teamed up to release a charity mug that raised $33,250 for the Claddagh Fund.
The Claddagh Fund, founded by band frontman Ken Casey in Boston, honors the three attributes of the Claddagh Ring: friendship, love, and loyalty. The fund works with community-based charities in Boston that provide support to children, veterans organizations and alcohol and drug rehabilitation. Death Wish Coffee has been a charitable partner with the Claddagh Fund since 2018.
During a live-streamed St. Patrick's Day concert, the Dropkick Murphys mentioned that the Claddagh Fund is also stepping in to help families affected by COVID-19.
To help raise money for the Claddagh Fund, Death Wish Coffee released a limited-edition Dropkick Murphys mug. During the sale, $10 of every mug was donated to the charity. These funds will be donated to places like the Dimock Center and the John Flower’s Men’s Recovery Home in Boston.
The Dimock Center, and specifically the John Flower’s Men’s Recovery Home, is tackling the opioid epidemic head-on in a state with an estimated 28.2 opioid-related deaths per 100,000 people — the 7th highest in the country, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse data.
The John Flower’s Men’s Recovery Home specializes in long-term treatment and houses about 18 men at a time. They use a personalized treatment approach to help men of all ages become sober and then helps them transition back into society.
“It’s really about how I can support the guys here,” Mike Garafolo, program director of the John Flower’s Men’s Recovery Home, said. “I graduated from this program. They don't view me as someone who read the book — this is somebody who’s lived it and been through this.”
Garafolo works with people like Lee Rodriguez, who’s recovery journey back means earning his degree from Roxbury Community College in business — something made possible by the Dimock Center.
“Recovery is a lot like elementary school. It’s a lot of building — building blocks are stacking up,” Rodriguez, who’s lived at the John Flower house for five months, said. “The thing is, you gotta want it, though. A big thing for me is that Dimock is right where I’m from.”
The Dimock Center is located in Roxbury, Massachusetts, just two miles outside of downtown Boston. It offers integrated comprehensive health programs targeting underserved communities, and it relies on donations to operate. That’s where organizations like the Claddagh Fund come in.
“We have the bare necessities to help these guys get on their feet,” Garafolo said. “Without the donations, we aren’t getting there. For me to find out that we were partnering with the Claddagh Fund — that’s everything.”
About Death Wish Coffee:
Death Wish Coffee Co. is one of the top growing coffee brands in the nation, and the #1 selling coffee on Amazon and in select retail stores nationwide. As the World’s Strongest Coffee, our mission is to fuel you wherever you go. Our dark, bold blend is made only with USDA certified organic and Fair Trade coffee beans. Death Wish Coffee is made by passionate people for passionate people, and we pride ourselves on providing a high-quality, sustainable coffee product.
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