In the heart of Clovis during the Old Town Motorama, people were stopping for a cup of coffee and leaving with more than a drink.

Pastor Andy White of The Legacy Christian Church is leading a unique project called the “The Giving Truck,” a mobile generosity campaign centered around a restored 1954 Chevy 4400.

The goal? To spread kindness and community connection through free coffee — with a twist.

“We want to engage the people in our community in something that’s a spiritual thing, but it’s not necessarily overtly religious,” White said. “So all day long, people come up here and they expect to pay because we have the prices — because it’s not free. But it’s paid for.”

“The Giving Truck” operates on a pay-it-forward model for their coffee, tea, and lemonade. Customers are surprised when their drinks are already covered but they’re invited to return the favor for the next person.

White said the idea came about five years ago during a brainstorming session among church staff.

“We were thinking Christian people don’t enjoy being Christians in a community. How do we get the church people out of the church and into the community doing something that’s fun?” he said. “What would be awesome is if we had our own coffee truck, and we go to do just coffee in the community.”

Generous Donation Helped Clovis Church Buy the Truck

A generous donation during the pandemic helped the church purchase the truck, but building out the necessary coffee equipment and infrastructure remains a work in progress.

“We’re about halfway to the first stage of building the box on the back,” White said. “I think we’re about $5,000-6,000 away from the first stage.”

The eventual plan, which is dependent on donations, includes outfitting the truck with refrigerators, generators, a hot water heater, and sinks — everything needed to operate like a full-fledged food truck.

The community response has been overwhelmingly positive, White said. Churchgoers help usher people to the truck, and spontaneous giving has created a celebratory atmosphere.

“You’ll hear the bell ringing, well that’s because somebody gave more than they received,” said White. “Most of the day, people are giving more than they receive, which is super fun.”

White hopes the truck will eventually feature a prize system for customers who track down the person who paid for their drink.

“If you find the person that says, you know, ‘Oh, I’ve got a gift from Charlie,’ and you find Charlie and then you guys both come back, we would like give them t-shirts or something,” he said.

For those interested in helping the “The Giving Truck” reach its next milestone, more information is available at thelegacychurch.net.

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