Cup O Code Community Initiatives & Impact
When we think about what makes a business truly successful, it’s not just the revenue or the client testimonials hanging on our walls. Success runs deeper than that. It’s about the ripple effect we create in our communities, the lives we touch, and the way we choose to show up for others when they need it most.
As business owners, we have a unique opportunity to be catalysts for positive change. We have platforms, resources, and networks that can amplify good in ways we might not even realize. At Cup O Code, giving back isn’t an afterthought or a once-a-year charitable write-off. It’s woven into the fabric of who we are and how we operate every single day.
Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or managing a growing team, your business can become a force for good in your community. Let us share how we’ve structured our giving into five key areas, and maybe you’ll find inspiration for your own journey of impact.
Promoting Others: Sharing the Spotlight
There’s something beautiful about using your voice to amplify someone else’s story. In a world where everyone is competing for attention, choosing to spotlight others shows a generosity of spirit that customers notice and remember.
We’ve made promoting small businesses a cornerstone of our social media strategy. Our content creator Sam Cease has turned coffee shop visits into community celebrations through Sam’s Coffee Jam. She visits local coffee shops throughout Central Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Coastal North Carolina, creating vibrant video content that captures the heart and soul of each business. The best part? We do this completely free of charge.
Every March, we take this promotion a step further with Sam’s Coffee Jam March Madness, where we create a bracket-style competition for local coffee shops. The community votes for their favorites, and suddenly these small businesses are getting engagement and visibility they might never have achieved on their own. It’s incredible to watch neighbors rally around their local spots.
But it doesn’t stop with coffee shops. If you scroll through our social media feed, you’ll find it filled with spotlights on businesses across our service areas from every member of our team. From family restaurants to boutique shops to service providers, we believe in the power of community support. Promoting others can look different across industries, but the goal is to use your platform to uplift others. Here are some examples:
- Retail: Host pop-ups for local artisans or feature small businesses on social media.
- Hospitality: Highlight suppliers, host community events, or collaborate with guest chefs.
- Tech: Share client success stories, host webinars, or promote open-source contributors.
- Creative Services: Showcase other creatives’ work or collaborate on joint projects.
- Healthcare: Partner on wellness events or share patient success stories.
- Education: Feature student achievements or invite guest speakers.
- Nonprofits: Collaborate on campaigns or spotlight volunteers.
- Fitness: Host community classes or partner on wellness challenges.
- Real Estate: Promote local businesses in your neighborhoods.
- E-commerce: Run collaborative giveaways or feature customer stories.
By promoting others, businesses build goodwill, strengthen networks, and foster collaboration. If you’re in Central Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Coastal North Carolina and want a free spotlight for your business, please reach out to us. We’re always looking to help our fellow professionals.
Education: An Exchange of Knowledge
Knowledge hoarded is knowledge wasted. We’ve learned so much about marketing, business development, and growth over the years, and keeping that wisdom to ourselves would be a disservice to our community of entrepreneurs who are just starting their journeys.
Every last Wednesday of the month, we host Business Bytes & Brews in partnership with the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center, W & S Distributors, and IV Coffee Co. These aren’t stuffy networking events where everyone exchanges business cards and forgets each other’s names. They’re genuine gatherings where entrepreneurs connect, learn from guest speakers, and build real relationships over coffee and light refreshments. What we love most about these events is the reciprocal nature of learning. Yes, we share our expertise, but we also learn from other business professionals who attend. The content creator who’s mastered Instagram Reels teaches the accountant about visual storytelling. The coffee shop owner shares insight about cultivating a healthy work environment that the tech consultant can apply to their own business. It’s beautiful to watch. Check out past or upcoming Business Bytes & Brews events here.
We also produce The Fresh Pot, both as a monthly e-newsletter and podcast. It’s packed with Cup O Code updates, tech and business tips from industry professionals, special deals, and business spotlights. The best part? It’s completely free to subscribe to either format.
Through our bi-monthly blog articles – like the one you’re reading right now – we tackle topics ranging from business marketing and tech trends to personal growth and development. We believe that businesses succeed when their owners grow as people, not just as professionals.
Community Engagement: It’s Not Just Business
Community engagement goes beyond networking events and business partnerships. It’s about giving back to the environment that made your business possible. It’s about showing up for your neighbors in ways that matter to them, regardless of whether they’ll ever become customers. In addition to being regular fixtures at local festivals and career fairs, we’re always finding more ways to contribute to our community’s vibrancy.
Every November, we host the Grateful Glytch Coloring Contest leading up to Thanksgiving. People of all ages can submit a colored sheet featuring our mascot Glytch dressed as a turkey, along with something they’re thankful for. It’s a simple way to encourage gratitude and bring families together around creativity while earning a chance to win some cool giveaways.
Come December, we shift gears to Tinsel Time with Eloise the Elf (aka our Sam Cease). Parents can request personalized messages from the North Pole for their children, completely free. Watching a child’s face light up when they receive a message from an elf who knows their name and their wish list? That’s pure magic, and it costs us nothing but time.
This fall, we’re launching something new called Reader Roast, a digital reading program for people of all ages. Think of it as a modern version of the old Pizza Hut Book It!® program. People can share reviews of books they’ve read and earn badges that encourage more reading. You can sign up for an account and check out reviews at readerroast.com. We’re working on partnerships with local coffee shops and bookstores to offer rewards for badge achievements, so if you’re a business owner who’d like to incentivize reading in your community, reach out to us here! Let’s get families reading more throughout the year.
Sponsorship: Investing in What Matters to You
Sponsorships allow us to support causes and organizations that align with our interests and values while building meaningful connections in our community. We’re selective about our sponsorships because we want to genuinely support what we’re putting our name behind.
Two sponsorships particularly close to our hearts are the Selingsgrove Speedway & Raceway Park and The Reel Housewives of Topsail Island.
Selingsgrove Speedway has been a Central Pennsylvania institution since 1946. We’re not just sponsors of the speedway… we also sponsor champion driver Kasi Miller in the Keystone State Series of professional Go-Kart Racing. There’s something thrilling about watching someone you support chase their dreams at high speed around a dirt track.
The Reel Housewives of Topsail Island holds an especially dear place in our hearts. This North Carolina nonprofit provides financial support for anyone in their community facing a breast cancer diagnosis. In 2023, they blessed our very own Apryle Negron during her battle with breast cancer. We’re thrilled to share that Apryle has been cancer-free for over a year and a half now. This October 4th, we’re proud to be a sponsor of their annual 26-mile bike ride fundraiser on Topsail Island. Giving back to an organization that supported one of ours during one of her darkest hours feels like completing a circle of care.
Charity: Meeting the Needs Around You
Sometimes giving back means addressing immediate, tangible needs in your community. These are the initiatives that directly impact someone’s day, their comfort, or their safety.
Every winter, we maintain Glytch’s Stitches Coat Closet where anyone can walk in and walk out with cold weather gear, free of charge, no questions asked. We stock it through our Share the Warmth drives, collecting gently used and new coats, gloves, hats, and other winter necessities. There’s something powerful about providing warmth to someone who needs it. A coat isn’t just fabric and insulation; it’s dignity, comfort, and care wrapped around someone’s shoulders.
Starting this September, we’re also launching Cup O Cuddles in partnership with the Lycoming County SPCA. This monthly video series will highlight animals available for adoption, using our platform to help these precious creatures find their forever homes. Every successful adoption through our platform feels like a small victory for love and second chances.
The Ripple Effect of Giving
Here’s what we’ve learned about businesses that give back: the impact extends far beyond the immediate recipients of your generosity. Your team feels more connected to their work when they see it contributing to something bigger. Your customers become more loyal because they’re supporting a business that shares their values. Your community becomes stronger because businesses are actively invested in its well-being.
But perhaps most importantly, giving back changes you as a business owner. It keeps you grounded, reminds you of your purpose beyond profit, and connects you to the human element that can sometimes get lost in spreadsheets and strategy meetings.
You don’t need a massive budget or a huge team to make a difference. Start small. Choose one area that resonates with you, whether it’s promoting other businesses, sharing your knowledge, engaging with your community, sponsoring local events, or addressing immediate needs. Take one small step, then another.
The truth is, our communities made our businesses possible. They provided the customers, the support systems, and the environments where we could grow. Giving back isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s completing the circle that allowed us to succeed in the first place.
Ready to join us in making a difference?
Whether you want to participate in one of our own initiatives, partner with us on a community project, or simply learn more about how your business can begin giving back, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us today, and let’s talk about how we can create positive change together.
