RICHMOND, Va. —Tucked off North 19th Street in Richmond, The Collective Cup is a cafe created to serve much more than just a good cup of coffee. It's a space for community growth and healing, launched by Dr. Gregory Marcelle in October.
"If you feel so low or you had a bad moment and you walk in that space, I want you to be able to gather yourself and feel more at peace when you come in," Marcelle said.
The cafe is designed to be a gathering place for anyone who needs it.
"Whether it's yoga, whether it's group discussions on just like anything, like it just be y'all come in let's just talk," Marcelle said.
As a substance abuse counselor, Marcelle sees The Collective Cup as an extension of the work he does daily. He is the owner of A L.E.V.E.L.S Mental Health Services and the creator of the nonprofit Our Community Home, which helps people in recovery with the transitional support they may need.
"When I became knowledgeable about like what is actually going on in the community that I'm living in today I wanted to figure out how can I help back in that way," Marcelle said.
His nonprofit grew directly out of what he witnessed in his for-profit work.
"That's the reason why I started my nonprofit, you know, because I was experiencing a lot of people that when we were trying to help them at Levels my for profit we were losing them one because they couldn't charge their phones. A lot of them, um, their hygiene was bad, their clothes were dirty," Marcelle said.
To uplift those in and around the cafe, proceeds from The Collective Cup help fund his nonprofit's mission.
"We go out and provide them resources such as like hygiene products, hygiene kits, um, food, mental health treatment," Marcelle said.
That support is aimed at helping people rebuild.
"Gaining a support system that can help them with re-entry back into a healthy life," Marcelle said.
A deep love for serving others sits at the center of this community cafe.
"God has given me the ability to like be a visionary, He's given me so much to give back," Marcelle said.
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