Frost It Forward

Frost Bank perks up San Antonio coffee shop with dose of generosity

Caffeine seekers at Merit Coffee got a happy surprise on the morning of October 30, when Frost Bank and CultureMap popped in to hand out presents, cash cards, and free coffee and tea.

Roughly 60 people — including those who'd set up work stations in the coffee shop's nooks — were treated to drinks and Frost Bank hats and koozies, along with journals that can be used to track acts of generosity and daily reflections, or to use when taking the 30-day Optimism Challenge.

In a fun twist, many of Merit's patrons revealed that they had already been banking with Frost for years and admired the company's commitment to community.

"I've always seen companies talk about 'spreading kindness and goodness and optimism' on their websites, but I've never experienced them actually doing it," said one, while another remarked, "I know Frost as a 'community bank,' but this is next level."

Several of the visitors received Frost cash cards, with the instruction to #frostitforward and use it to do a good deed for someone else. One recipient accepted the card, then walked right over to the Merit barista and presented it to him as a thank-you for serving him every morning.

This unexpected java jolt was the latest in a series of pop-ups that are helping San Antonians show generosity and spread optimism. It's all part of CultureMap's partnership with Frost Bank and in celebration of our comprehensive CultureMap Charity Guide, which is your one-stop destination for area nonprofits and charities.

CultureMap and Frost Bank will be hosting more of these pop-up events throughout 2018, surprising and delighting folks all over San Antonio. Want to know where we might show up next? Follow along on Instagram and Twitter for hints about our next stop.

Frost Bank and CultureMap surprised patrons at Merit Coffee.

Frost pop-up at Merit Coffee San Antonio

Photo by Joel Pena

Frost Bank and CultureMap surprised patrons at Merit Coffee.

coffee charity-guide promoted

SPARE ART

North San Antonio gets crafty with new creative supplies shop

Photo by Ismael Rodriguez.

Local nonprofit Spare Parts recently opened its brick-and-mortar center for creative reuse.

One local nonprofit organization has spent years getting environmental accountability and community education down to a fine art. And now it’s getting crafty with a new brick-and-mortar shop in North San Antonio aimed to help locals to go green.

Spare Parts was founded in 2010 by executive director and longtime arts educator Mary Elizabeth Cantú to provide a creative spark for area students and schools lacking arts funding and resources. Through a variety of educational programs, public art exhibitions, events, and the organization’s traveling Mini Art Museum, Spare Parts has enlightened thousands of students and San Antonians, all while fostering reuse practices and sustainability, a key tenet of the nonprofit.

Spare Parts’ latest endeavor is another artistic triumph. Its new center for creative reuse, located at 13451 Wetmore Rd., is nothing less than a crafter’s delight. The shop features an impressive array of “pre-loved” and price-reduced artsy merchandise — from paint supplies and paper crafts to sewing items, beading and jewelry, school and office supplies, vintage gadgets, and crafting kits — all of which has been rescued from area landfills.

Cantú notes that proceeds from the new Spare Parts’ shop will enable the organization to further increase creative and educational experiences for San Antonio students and families. But even more so, she hopes the shop will help locals embrace the concept that one person’s trash can be another’s artistic treasure.

“There really isn’t any more room in the world for this stuff. Buying pre-loved at places like Spare Parts or other stores is a way to reduce the amount of things [people] feel that they need,” Cantú said in a recent interview with the San Antonio Sentinel. “We’re challenging people to rethink things around them, buy pre-loved, and find a way to be creative in their lives.”

In the time of COVID-19, however, getting the creative juices flowing isn’t as simple as popping into the Spare Parts shop. Though the center for creative reuse is open, the store is currently offering only weekend curbside pickup of items ordered through its website. But crafters shouldn’t despair, as Spare Parts is offering private in-person shopping experiences in the new year, with the first planned for January 16 and 17.

jewelry shopping kids charity openings sustainability