Our Story
Founded in 2001 by Nancy Sawyer-Molina in the South Wedge neighborhood of Rochester, New York, The Coffee Connection began as a wholesale and retail coffee business aimed at providing job skills and a supportive environment for women in recovery from addiction. In 2011, Joy Bergfalk merged her initiative, Project Empower, with The Coffee Connection, enhancing the mission to empower women overcoming addiction, trauma, and incarceration. As the organization enters its second decade, the focus remains on workforce development, equipping women not only to manage daily operations but also to take on executive leadership roles within the nonprofit.