Community Corner

Hidden Gems Of Hartford And Tolland Counties

The Community Needs Board at Silk City Coffee in Downtown Manchester is a catalyst for positive community interaction.

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The Community Needs Board at Silk City Coffee in Downtown Manchester is a catalyst for positive community interaction.
The Community Needs Board at Silk City Coffee in Downtown Manchester is a catalyst for positive community interaction. (Tammy Gerhard/Silk City Coffee)

MANCHESTER, CT — The latest Hidden Gem might be a small part of Downtown Manchester, but, in a way, it can measure the pulse of the community.

Welcome to the Community Needs Board at Silk City Coffee.

The coffee shop, located at 763 Main St., acts as a catalyst for the community to care for one another through the use of the Community Needs Board. Anyone can share a need and anyone can pick one of the cards and meet a need.

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The shop also sets aside a percentage of the proceeds from Love Coffee Love People merchandise sold at the shop to put into a charitable giving fund to help provide for community needs.

"We have seen so many needs met since we have opened — tutoring offered, music lessons shared, housing provided, groceries given, even college tuition paid for a young woman who lost her job, and so much more all through the board," one of the owners, Tammy Gerhard, said.

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The board also offers a chance for people to share both prayer and practical needs and it inspired area churches to begin to "pray together and work together to meet the needs of the community," Gerhard said.

She added, "Manchester United in Prayer movement birthed out of it and regular prayer is happening across churches for the needs shared on the board, the shop, the community, our town government and schools, etc since we opened. While I didn’t originally expect it, it's been so fun to watch and be a part of."

The owners estimate that, since Silk City Coffee opened in 2016, giving in all forms has totaled more than $35,000.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Hartford and Tolland counties. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to Chris.dehnel@patch.com.

Other Hidden Gems in this series:2024

2023

2022

2021 and earlier

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