13 August 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Sojourner’s is a donation-only coffee house. They believe this is their calling and it allows them to serve veterans who may not have the ability to pay for a meal on any given day.
“It’s given us the opportunity to serve people that are genuinely in need. And they can come in and order like everybody else, and have their breakfast, a cup of coffee, and have some peace while escaping all the things they deal with,” said Sojourner Founder, Ashley King.
Last week, a man stole a tip jar from the counter, before having one last free drink. Then on Friday, the same thing happened again.
“I ordered a new tip jar similar to the one we had the first time and less than two hours later a guy ran off with it to the bathroom, stole all the money out of it, and left it in the trash,” said Ashley King.
King and her husband Larry King opened Sojourner’s Coffee House in April of 2021, with the goal of connecting veterans who may be struggling with anxiety and PTSD.
Larry served in the Air Force, and Ashley’s grandfather served in the Navy. She saw firsthand what they went through day-to-day following their days of service.
“Just watching those two men that are really important to me deal with the things that they deal with on a daily basis, that the rest of us just move through life and don’t think about, wanting to help veterans like them. I just want to give veterans a place where they can come together and meet with other veterans that understand what one another is going through” said Ashley King.
The Kings are opening a new coffee cart on Tuesday at McConnell Air Force Base, that will allow them to serve more active service members directly. They are excited about the opportunity.
Every third Sunday, Sojourner’s Coffee House hosts a dinner to show appreciation for military members and their families. They are cost-free, all the Kings ask, is that people pre-register as space is limited.
For any veteran or active service member interested, the next one is August 20th at 6 p.m.
You can register for the dinner here.