It is early in the morning and you are still exhausted from getting out of bed and trudging to school. The thought of going through another maroon day without any caffeine is dreadful. Ten minutes before the bell is supposed to ring, you can smell the fresh coffee coming from the library.

As of last year the Indian grounds coffee shop, run by Helping Hands has been serving coffee, smoothies, teas, and other beverages for only a dollar every maroon day.

“We plan on keeping our drinks at an affordable one dollar each,” instructor Michelle Thacker said.  “Our goal is to give students an opportunity to practice customer service and soft skills.”

The goal is to give students job experience and practice for the real world.

“We work on greeting people appropriately, being on time, working with a team, putting out a quality product, counting change correctly and simply being able to interface with others politely and professionally,” Thacker said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to serve their peers and create an atmosphere that promotes a positive school culture.”

Indian Grounds is one of the main sources of income for the entire Helping Hands project. Everything that is made from their own sales goes back in and benefits the group.

“Helping Hands does not receive any budget from the district,” Thacker said. “This means we have to purchase all of our supplies out of our sales.  In keeping our prices affordable, we are not making big profits.”

From helping out the school to gaining more experiences, students have said that working at Indian Grounds has been a pleasant experience.

“Everyone who I have worked with in the coffee shop absolutely loves working there,” senior Tyler Rodgers said. “We all work together extremely well and actually enjoy it.”