Coffee For Skid in Iraq

Everyone, meet my good friend Chris Skidmore (Skid to friends).  He is the reason I got to go rafting down the grand canyon two years ago.  It was a life changing trip, and I’ve been meaning to say thank you for a long, long time.  Skid is in Iraq now, doing some amazing work, and I say it is time to play forward his good work.

Without him, I would have never taken this picture, never shared it with you, never had this opportunity.

Sunset

Skid is one of those special guys.  Wicked smart, kind heart, great leader and loves the outdoors.  I spent two weeks with him in the Grand and really valued every day.  In his first tour, he had coffee every morning, except for one.  That is the day bad shit happened.  So on the Grand, and everyday, coffee is the way to prevent bad shit from happening for him.

So Skid is doing his second tour, and has inherited a ‘double wide’ trailer to turn into a little oasis in the desert for all the guys around him. He has asked me to rally the random folks I know to help him stock up the place to turn it into a ‘local’ coffee shop.

Game on.

He has asked for:

  • Coffee.  Whole bean.  From your favorite local coffee roaster. Accompanied by a note about the roaster.
  • Outdoor shots / art to hang on the walls.
  • Letters saying hello.

SSG Skidmore, Christopher
C/ 7-158 AVN
Joint Base Balad
APO AE 09391

The postage is just like sending it in the US.  Please send him a pound or two!

He is the one in the center in this picture:

Loungin

Thank you!


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8 responses to “Coffee For Skid in Iraq”

  1. Megan Avatar

    Gorgeous photos! I want to be there right now.

  2. Jen Yu Avatar

    Will do. I'll send photos of beautiful places and leave the beaning to friends who know coffee better than I!

  3. Jaden Avatar

    You know, I don't even know you nor Skid.
    But I know Jen, she rocks.

    So if I love Jen and she loves you and you love Skid….
    therefore Skid must be awesome enough for me to send him 20 pounds of green coffee beans and a small coffee roaster that I don't use anymore and is just sitting here in the pantry, because my favorite coffee roaster, Storyville.com sends me freshly roasted beans once a week.

    But first, I should ask if he'd like that. It's a brand new iRoastII, the size of a small coffee machine and I have no idea if the electric pluggy plugger thingy works in Iraq. I'm assuming that they've the same voltage at the base? Let me know?

  4. andrewhyde Avatar
    andrewhyde

    Jaden-

    Thanks! I don't know you, but I know Jen, and she rocks, so you must as well.

    I think he would love that. Actually, I know he would love it. They have regular power.

  5. andrewhyde Avatar
    andrewhyde

    Thank you! I would love to go back!

  6. Hilda Avatar

    Are only photographs of nature wanted? I asked Jen and she said to ask you. I could send prints of Paris?
    My hubby was in the armed forces for 16 years and we have very good friends who are over there right now (in Afghanistan, not Iraq) so I'm always happy to help.

  7. andrewhyde Avatar
    andrewhyde

    I think the Paris print would be amazing!

    This is my first time shipping to the armed forces. I have no idea how long it takes!

  8. JOEANNA Avatar

    You can see special Cappuccino Machine at here

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