First responders and healthcare workers take spotlight in Mission House Coffee tradition

Pay it forward.

Along with grabbing a quick cup of joe, it's one the simplest things that can be done at Mission House Coffee in downtown Lynchburg.

But a closer look at the board shows to whom people are paying it forward.

"So we have on our board right now, I can tell you there's firefighters, there's EMTs, there's nurses," said Tommy Clark, Mission House Coffee owner. "People want to provide support for these individuals and the people who are really on the front lines of everything that's going on."

Clark says $5 is enough to show support for those working on the front lines.

All it takes is saying you want to pay it forward, paying, and who you want it to go toward.

"You can leave it for anybody or you can be specific if you'd like, so that way, if you have somebody intentionally that you want to support, you can reach out to those people," said Clark.

He says the effort has nothing to do with his shop and that Mission House only serves as a middleman.

He wants those on the front lines to know it's the community paying it forward to them.

"But the people around here, especially in this time - we've seen the outpouring of support for small businesses, for first responders, and for just taking care of people in general," said Clark.

And with more cards going up, a little extra coffee will get brewed for those who can't stay home.