Amid Denver’s progressive culture, a coffee shop’s mission to help the homeless has sparked fierce debate. Jamie Sanchez, a local entrepreneur and Christian pastor, opened Drip Cafe in 2023 to combine community support with faith outreach. The café operates under Sanchez’s nonprofit ministry Recycle Gods Love, founded over a decade ago through weekly Bible studies and community meals for Denver’s homeless population. The cafe hires and mentors homeless individuals who complete sobriety programs through Sanchez’s Project Revive, launched in 2022.
Beyond job training and free coffee for those in need, the business offers showers and spiritual guidance — its goal to “restore dignity.” But protests erupted the day the cafe opened, with activists calling it anti-LGBTQ+ and accusing Sanchez of exploiting vulnerable people. Sanchez surprised protesters by offering them free coffee during demonstrations, despite their condemnation of his beliefs.
Denver Communists, a local activist group, organized demonstrations using bullhorns and flyers. They claim the cafe serves as a front for a right-wing church, citing Sanchez’s views on homosexuality and efforts to share Gospel teachings. Social media backlash followed, including accusations of homophobia on the group’s Facebook page.
Yet Sanchez denies discrimination, framing his work as “love and truth in action.” Project Revive has reportedly helped dozens of people find housing and jobs, with Drip Cafe employing eight graduates of its recovery program. Customers can access free meals, addiction counseling, and assistance obtaining IDs — services some patrons call “life-changing.”
Project Revive has helped dozens secure housing and jobs, offering free meals, addiction counseling, and ID assistance—services patrons call life-changing.
Despite mixed reactions, the cafe remains open. Some residents praise its practical aid, while protesters argue faith-based programs harm LGBTQ+ inclusiveness. Tensions peaked during community art walks, where activists spoke against the business. Sanchez has vowed to continue his mission, calling the criticism “misguided.”
Denver’s progressive politics, often clashing with conservative ministries, fuel the dispute. Protesters frame their efforts as resisting religious overreach, while supporters see it as defending compassion over ideology.
Though surrounded by controversy, Sanchez plans to expand outreach. Project Revive aims to house 50 more people by 2025, and the cafe intends to hire additional staff from rehab programs.
For now, Drip Cafe stands as a battleground over homelessness solutions, faith, and activism — its survival testing Denver’s tolerance for mixing religion with social services.
