Southeast Portland's Heretic Coffee Co. has raised more than $39,000 toward a $100,000 campaign to build a free café in Gaza.
The nonprofit, known for its SNAP Breakfast program that has served more than 11,000 free meals since October 2025, wants to open a café called the Department of Peace where Palestinians can eat and drink every day, no questions asked.
The project is a partnership between Heretic and HUMANITE Peace Collective, a humanitarian organization. The café would occupy a roughly 2,150-square-foot property west of Gaza City, near the seaport, according to the Portland Tribune. The space needs renovation, plumbing, electrical work, furniture and equipment before it can open.
Heretic owner Josh White, a former journalist and conflict reporter, told KPTV on Friday, Sept. 18 that the café would be fully led by a Palestinian team already on the ground. "This is for Palestinians by Palestinians," White said.
The project is dedicated to Malak Musleh, a team member whom organizers said was killed when Al-Baqa Café in Gaza was targeted and bombed by Israel. White told Good Good Good that Musleh was the top-rated female boxer in Gaza and an icon for Palestinian girls. He keeps a photo of her beside his desk.
White said he hopes to begin feeding people by the end of the year, though the timeline depends on conditions in Gaza.
SNAP Breakfast program
Heretic launched its SNAP Breakfast program in October 2025 during the federal government shutdown, offering free breakfast to anyone losing food benefits. No proof required.
The program raised about $385,000 in 2025 from more than 12,000 donors and generated over 10 million views on social media, according to the Portland Tribune. Heretic also donated nearly $224,000 to other organizations as part of the effort.
White told KOIN the Gaza project grows directly from that work, combining his passion for coffee with Heretic's humanitarian efforts in the Middle East.
How the money breaks down
The $100,000 covers Phase 1 only. Heretic's budget includes $22,500 for café equipment and furniture, $20,000 for local payroll and staff training, $17,500 for renovation and construction, $12,000 for lease and deposit costs, $10,000 for contingency, $7,000 for utilities and an operating reserve, $6,000 for opening inventory and $5,000 for free community meals and initial programming.
The café will still need ongoing funding for food, supplies, utilities and payroll after it opens.
HUMANITE's Gaza team includes Rami Aman, founder of the Gaza Youth Committee and a peace activist whom HUMANITE said was kidnapped and tortured by Hamas in 2020. Other team members include field leader Ramez Alsoury, media professional Nesma Hamouda, youth leader Alaa Ibrahim and metalworker Jaber Saleh, who uses salvaged iron from destroyed buildings to repair homes.
White said the Palestinian team would have "full autonomy" over the shop, according to The Oregonian.
Donations can be made at humanite.org/dop.
