MARYSVILLE — Allen Creek Community Church’s Community Center now boasts a drive-thru coffee stand as an income-producing endeavor, with 100 percent of the profits from the stand, located in historic downtown Marysville, going to help finance socially conscious programs.

Allen Creek Community Church has purchased the Carabinieri Bar, one of the first drive-thru coffee stands established in Marysville, back in 1994.

“Most churches depend solely on the direct charitable contributions of their members to support their church activities, but AC3 takes the innovative approach of ‘Business as Mission,’” said Dan Hazen, executive pastor of Allen Creek Community Church. “Profits from the business are used to support community-oriented programs, including our food bank, serving more than 1,000 families a month, as well as a cooperative organic farm, youth education, life skills training and more.”

A second location in the Allen Creek Community Church lobby serves as a small-scale music and art venue.

“In our town, at this time, supporting the arts is just as compassionate as operating our food bank,” Hazen said. “We hope to expand and increase our support of local art, as well as providing secure, living-wage jobs, and leveraging profit to meet the needs of our neighbors, rather than just padding shareholder bank accounts.”

“The Carabinieri Bar provides an opportunity to enjoy great coffee, while at the same time contributing toward the provision of food, clothing, employment training and other important services for those in need right here in Marysville,” Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring said.

“Part of being a missional business means staying locally focused, using local vendors, local and seasonal ingredients, and employees from right here in our neighborhood,” Hazen said. More information about the Carabinieri Bar, Allen Creek Community Church and its Community Center can be found online at www.ac3.org/cc.