Coffee Chats: Building Trust, One Cup at a Time

At IMPACT Silver Spring, one of the ways we live into our mission of promoting equity and justice is through our SPACES framework—intentional gatherings designed to deepen relationships, spark understanding, and lay the groundwork for action. Among these, Coffee Chats stand out as a welcoming “doorway” into the network: a simple invitation to sit down, share a cup of coffee, and start talking.

Each week, IMPACT’s Long Branch Network Builder, Richard Pascagaza and Network Guide, Ruby Muchado, host Coffee Chats in the waiting room at the Health and Human Services TESS Center (Takoma-East Silver Spring Community Action Center). With the trust people already have in TESS, community members show up, often shy at first, but open quickly once conversation begins.

“Coffee chats are a great way of knowing people,” says Ruby. “Because there is already trust with the TESS Center, that helps build trust with us. People are hungry for the interaction. It’s amazing what offering a cup of coffee and a greeting can mean to someone.”

For Richard, the Chats are guided by three goals: helping neighbors connect with each other, linking them to services and organizations, and building deeper relationships with IMPACT. He takes careful notes, listening for common threads. “We gather information during the chats, and if we keep hearing the same issue, we know it’s something to focus on,” he explains. “That’s how new spaces and action plans are born.”

Sometimes, the impact is immediate. Richard recalls a woman who came in just to learn about services. “She was very quiet—just listening. Finally, she asked me, ‘How can I do something like this? How can I serve?’ I connected her to a volunteer opportunity, and now she’s showing up every week at one of our partner hubs.”

Coffee Chats may seem small, but they hold a powerful truth: when people are welcomed as human beings first, trust grows, connections multiply, and the seeds of transformation are planted—one cup at a time.