Sydney Smith has always loved coffee. In the last year, she turned that love into a side business called "Revival Coffee Roasting Co."
"Revival is about reviving humanity and bringing back that love for one another," said Smith.
Smith became inspired to start Revival after a helping a homeless woman on a cold winter night last year. Smith gave her blankets and gloves and took her into a coffee shop. That's the moment her life changed.
"I noticed she was very uncomfortable inside Starbucks. People were staring like who is this woman? What's her story? Or why is she in here?"
"I'm tired of living in a world where someone like that's who is having such a rough time comes in to get a drink and she feels awkward."
So Smith started her coffee company with a two-fold mission: to sell quality coffee and do it with a purpose. She sells online and hopes to one day open a coffee shop.
Smith works with several non-profits to raise money and she'll be fundraising at the "Hope in Handbags" purse auction to benefit the Harford Family House.
The Harford Family House is the only place in Harford County that allows homeless families to stay together. They offer them housing, transportation, job training and budgeting skills.
They can serve 26 families at a time and have a wait list of 150 families.
"All of our events, like our Hope in Handbags event, are critical to help raise money so we can support our programs and grow," said Robin Tomechko, CEO of the Harford Family House. "We have a 20 percent growth we're hoping to do this year, so we are able to serve 30 families at the end of this fiscal year.
Smith is doing her part to help the Harford Family House reach the goal, by selling coffee at the Hope in Handbags event and donating part of the proceeds to them.
"If I didn't help these organization it would be Revival. It would just be regular coffee."
The Hope in Handbags is a two day event. The auction preview is 6-8:30 p.m. on Friday Sept. 8. The auction goes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday Sept. 9. Everything is taking place at the Bel Air Reckord Armory on Main Street.
