This. Is. My. Story.

A Spoken Word Showcase

 

This episode was recorded live on February 21, 2020 at Uncommon Grounds Cafe in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. Host: Andrenna Williams. Participants: Zabriawn Smith, Laturne Beasley Jr., Amber Dorsett, Jamie Smith, Jessical Jeffries-Spencer, Shane’na Jeter, Andrenna Williams, Melissa McKinney, Michele Witt, Jonathan MC, Scott Colburn, Laura Gilbert, Malkyah Bailey, Rich Brown, Yvonne Jackson, Taja Finley, Angelica Little, and Herb Bailey. Audiography: Kevin Farkas. ©TSVP Community Podcasting & The Listening Library: Voices of Beaver County (this podcast episode recording). ©Uncommon Grounds Café (this event and content). All rights reserved.

On February 21, 2020, Uncommon Grounds Cafe presented a community storytelling and spoken word celebration in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania.

"This. Is. My. Story." is hosted by Andrenna Williams and features the voices and stories of Zabriawn Smith, Laturne Beasley Jr., Amber Dorsett, Jamie Smith, Jessical Jeffries-Spencer, Shane’na Jeter, Andrenna Williams, Melissa McKinney, Michele Witt, Jonathan MC, Scott Colburn, Laura Gilbert, Malkyah Bailey, Rich Brown, Yvonne Jackson, Taja Finley, Angelica Little, and Herb Bailey.

These stories will be archived with the Listening Library: Beaver County - a special community multimedia collaborative project that captures, preserves, and shares the voices and stories of our time.

Photo gallery by Erin Ninehouser

Rustbelt Mayberry Photography

Video gallery by Christopher Padgett

Human City Creative.

 

Our Community Partner

Uncommon Grounds Cafe: Our Story

We're more than just a great cafe. From art programs to community outreach to being the perfect venue for your event, we're here to serve you and the community of Aliquippa. Have a look around our site, or better yet, come on down and visit!

​Uncommon Grounds Café is run by evangelists and volunteers. We reach the least, the last, and the lost with the gospel of Christ through listening and offering dignity. We are a space for Churches to learn and practice the Great Commission through volunteering, work missions, and training. We are a space for transition from isolation to community. If you enjoy good food, excellent coffee, and you would like to “make a difference in the world,” we have a place for you.

Christ, Coffee, Culture.

Here are some things we do: Open Mic Nights, Monthly Veterans Appreciation Breakfasts, AA & NA Meetings, Ladies Night, Celebrate Recovery, Bible Studies, Summer Mission Teams, Urban Mission Training, The Bridge, and Womens Ministries.

When Church Army officer John Stanley arranged in 2001 for the purchase of an old store front on Franklin Avenue in Aliquippa, he expected he and other volunteers would have a working coffee shop ministry in six months, tops. 

Then part of the building literally fell off.

Nearly four years of volunteer labor followed, but the results are impressive. Now, a fully functional café and coffee shop stands in what used to just be another run-down building. Of course, Uncommon Grounds isn’t really about just serving a good latte or even paying its bills (something Stanley never expects it to be able to do). It aspires to help a whole community heal and lead individuals to Jesus. “We’re here to change Aliquippa,” said Stanley. Sometimes that means connecting someone down on their luck with the proper social services, or just listening. In other moments, there may be opportunities for evangelism and guiding people to local churches.