When someone left an anti-immigrant comment on Heretic Coffee's Instagram post, the Portland roastery didn't delete it and move on. Instead, they turned it into fuel.
The coffee shop had posted about their stance on ICE raids—how their baristas know how to refuse entry, how they'll provide shelter and food to anyone who needs it. "American or not, if you are in our shop, or our city — you are our family," owner Josh wrote. "And families protect each other."
That's when the negative comment arrived. Rather than argue, Heretic made a decision: they'd create "Harboring Hope" stickers with 100% of profits going directly to feeding immigrant neighbors in Portland. They partnered with Jen's Pastries to sell "paras todos" (for everyone) cookies for the same cause. By the time they tallied it up, they'd raised close to $10,000.
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Start Your News DetoxThis isn't Heretic's first time turning crisis into community care. When SNAP benefits were suspended for millions of Americans a few years back, the shop started offering free "SNAP breakfasts" to anyone who asked—no questions, no proof needed. That effort went viral in a way that surprised even them: over $380,000 from more than 11,000 donors worldwide, many of them people who'd never been to Portland.
"When the system fails us, it's up to us to take care of each other," Josh said at the time. "And the world—yes, literally, the world—has done just that."
What makes Heretic's approach distinctive isn't just that they help. It's that they're transparent about it. They share updates on social media, they name the partnerships, they show the numbers. They don't hide the fact that they're small and imperfect. They just keep showing up.
The coffee shop continues to face pushback from some corners. But their focus hasn't shifted. In a moment when immigration policy feels distant and abstract to many Americans, Heretic is doing something quieter and more grounded: treating the people in their actual shop like family, and inviting their customers to do the same.
