By Ann Marie Swan
Milagros means miracles in Spanish. Fittingly, a miracle would be helpful right about now to keep Milagros Coffeehouse on Main Street in Alamosa. The lease ends this year and this beauty of a building is for sale.
All profits from Milagros support the nonprofit La Puente, which means the bridge. La Puente’s mission is to feed, clothe and shelter people in the San Luis Valley. Milagros, in the center of town, is a public relations storefront for La Puente’s work. Other La Puente enterprises include a motel, two thrift stores and a boutique.
The nonprofit’s message doesn’t appear on Milagros’ exterior, a red-brick historical treasure. The philosophy is experience the place first, then learn of the mission later.
“We’re more of a ‘by the way, all profits support local charities,’” said Lance Cheslock, La Puente’s director. “The moral value of what we’re doing is not the focus of the business plan. We share charitable purposes for those who are interested, but the coffeehouse is not the place for moral arm-twisting.”
On a recent morning, Milagros is bright and warm, enticing people inside off the windy street. Mugs are tinkling as the coffee shop gets busy. Sharply dressed professionals sit at tables next to an art teacher. Toddlers play as moms catch up over hot tea. Returning tourists wander in as a local food coalition meets in a corner. One customer plays a few songs on the piano, accentuating the cozy, community living room vibe.
Steam rises from Turkish coffee that’s bold, comforting and exotic with a trace of cardamom. Croissants are flaky and the cheddar potato quiche is nicely tangy. Milagros hosts music, writing workshops, art shows and other gatherings.
Milagros could be any pleasant coffee shop, but it’s not. It’s much more. Patrons help provide charitable works simply by buying a cup of coffee. And this is attractive to people who don’t need La Puente’s services.
Beyond profits, Milagros “plays a stronger role in public relations,” Cheslock said. Milagros has been highly successful in recruiting volunteers and there are three reasons why. Location, location and location. Landing the coffee shop on this rocking real estate was in itself a miracle.
“The bottom line is building community,” Cheslock said. “People make connections with the community and one another.”
The lease for Milagros was negotiated 12 years ago with a very reasonable rent. If the coffeehouse were to move, it would likely be to a smaller space off Main Street with significantly higher rent. Milagros wouldn’t be able to accommodate its events, and with more money going to rent, La Puente’s services and budget would shrink.
Cheslock is actively seeking grants to purchase Milagros and its kitchen, listed at $282,000, in the more than 100-year-old Emperius building. La Puente desires a dedicated deed in perpetuity, carrying its mission forward. Milagros has received attention from the State Historical Fund, the Gates Family Foundation and the Boettcher Foundation. “They want to respond to a community that’s trying to help itself,” Cheslock said.
At press time, more than $14,000 has been donated to keep Milagros on Main Street and State Avenue.
The power behind the mothership La Puente is its people. Seven-hundred volunteers and work-group participants contribute in some way, along with 23 full-time volunteers. La Puente has 16 paid positions.
“It’s shouldered by a wide range of people,” Cheslock said. “It’s an expression of community and compassionate work. One person can’t do something like this. It’s a reflection of the community.”
El Pomar Foundation gave La Puente the R.J. Montgomery Award for Excellence in Human Services in 2011 along with a $25,000 grant.
Peter M. Maiurro, vice president of El Pomar and director of Awards for Excellence, said the foundation was struck by the “breadth and depth” of La Puente. “It’s really such a go-to organization,” Maiurro said. “La Puente serves so many people in the San Luis Valley in so many ways.”
La Puente remains open to manna from heaven. It’s certainly happened before. Angels have stumbled upon La Puente through Milagros. One woman in 2009 was stranded in Alamosa for three days while her car was repaired and spent much of the time in the coffee shop. After returning home to Kansas, she promptly put La Puente in her will. Then there’s the generous couple in Crestone who donated the SkyVue Motel in Alamosa to La Puente in 2008.
La Puente’s even won $10,000 in the Colorado Lottery drawing for nonprofits in 1998. This stroke of luck made the coffeehouse shop possible and inspired its name.
Milagros could not attract the same abundance on a side street. All it takes to keep the coffee shop’s showcase spot on Main is one more miracle.
Salida resident Ann Marie Swan has worked as a daily journalist in Denver, Honolulu and Tokyo. She’s from New Orleans.
