After a tragic car accident took the life of Wellman resident Micah Miller, the Kalona Coffee House decided to do something special for his family. Miller’s sister, Bethany, is a manager at the coffee shop, and he was a frequent patron who, according to the staff, was a generous tipper. Co-owner Rhonda Yoder said one of the employees had the idea to donate the tip jar to his family for an entire week, and she liked the idea. While it started small with people giving their change and tips to the cause, Yoder said it got much larger very fast. By the end of the week, people weren’t just leaving tips, they were leaving anywhere from $20 to a couple hundred dollars. She added, “It was just incredible to see how the community just took it and ran with it, and it was way more than we anticipated.”
In addition to the tip jar, the Kalona Coffee House added all of the proceeds from sales of iced or hot white mochas with an extra shot of espresso, which was Miller’s favorite drink. The efforts raised $4,750.27 for Micah’s wife, Miranda Miller, and their two children. Yoder plans to keep the tip jar going possibly for another month, though she says she doesn’t want to limit it if people want to continue to donate. To donate to the Miller family, visit the Kalona Coffee House, or click on the link below.