There are times in life when you have to try to move forward and times when it’s significant to stop, look around, and remember what really matters. One woman inspired hundreds of people in her community when she did the latter.
Despite running her own coffee shop, this woman put her business on hold for a day to facilitate her rival and friend who was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Instant friendship
Pixie Adams had been running Moonlight Coffee House in Portland for some time when she met Dave and Tina McAdams. The couple lived next door to the coffee shop, and the trio hit it off right away. So when the McAdamses decided to open their own coffee shop, Adams was very supportive.
After that, the business owners often shared tips and advice on how to grow and run their stores. They remained friends, even though they sold the same thing: coffee.
When Adams learned that Dave, a two-time cancer survivor, had just been given a terminal diagnosis and had about two months to live, she knew she had to facilitate. After all, she was a breast cancer survivor herself and knew how complex it all was.
“I thought about my battle with cancer, how complex it was to balance treatment with time spent with family and business” she said Yahoo Lifestyle.
Closing the shop
Various people in the community wanted to facilitate, especially when Tina left her full-time job to take over the cafe from Dave. But she also had to spend time at home with her husband, helping him as his health deteriorated.
So Adams decided to hold a fundraiser at the McAdams’ store. She closed Moonlight Coffee House for the day and went to their local spot, The Local Coffee Company, to serve lattes and coffee.
“Sometimes being a community leader means showing love and support to someone in our midst — even another local coffee shop,” Adams wrote in an Instagram post advertising the takeover.
“For those of you who don’t know, Dave McAdams has spent years serving the local Oak Grove and Milwaukie communities through volunteering, non-profit work, sports coaching, and, sadly, is now in hospice care as he bravely faces a terminal cancer diagnosis,” she continued. “And that means their family needs OUR facilitate!”
Successful day
On the day in question, Adams donated every dollar she earned to the couple, including tips and donations. She ultimately raised more than $4,000 for them—a record-breaking day of sales.
“When she suggested it, we were honored that she would put her business aside for a day to facilitate our” Tina said InsideEdition.com“Pixie is well-known in our community for raising awareness and has a very vast following. We knew her efforts would not go unrewarded.
The takeover inspired others to facilitate. One roaster donated bags of Dave’s LovedDeeply Blend beans to sell, with 100% of the proceeds going to the family. Someone also started GoFundMe page which raised over $18,000.
Meanwhile, the hashtag #BeLikePixie has been trending on social media, with people encouraging others to make changes in their communities just as Adams was trying to do in hers.
“I think it’s very simple to get caught up in the competition in business,” Adams said. InsideEdition.com“I wanted to do something for them that I knew would make a difference in a way that was more than superficial. For me, it will always be community over competition and friendship over business.”
Remembering what’s significant
It’s so simple to get caught up in the day-to-day that we forget what others may be going through. But true community is about showing up and being there for each other, even when we’re not asked to.
Life is so busy that it’s significant to remember to facilitate others when we can. In the context of community, this doesn’t necessarily mean a vast fundraiser. It could be something basic like supporting a local business instead of a vast chain. Or it could be organizing or participating in a park cleanup, a food drive, or clearing driveways and yards for seniors or recent parents.
It’s nice to succeed and grow. But as Adams reminds us, it’s much better to achieve your goals when you’re helping others.
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