Us

We serve coffee…and MUCH more

The Urbean efforts were created by Urban Connection Ministries, whose mission statement is “Connecting the Disconnected.” The ministry’s efforts target inner-city culture that has become predominately self-focused, disconnected from the middle class, and devoid of spiritual interest.

Urban Connection Ministries began as a response to a need identified by Maranatha Bible Church in southeast Akron. When a group of students began attending the mostly suburban church in 2002, the church recognized the students needed mentorship and help in more ways than religious guidance.

A unique partnership occurred to launch Urban Connection Ministries. This effort rapidly expanded to train, equip and mentor other churches, inspiring them to “adopt” whole communities to help their people escape generational poverty. These churches’ efforts are present in Barberton, Brimfield, and Akron’s Firestone Park. (To learn more about Urban Connections, please visit www.akronmentor.com.)

Urban Connection Ministries and the Urbean efforts are led by separate boards of directors.

Our dedicated staff includes:

Toni Reece, a Cleveland native who also serves as the director of women’s ministry at South Street Church. She is married and greatly enjoys time with her five children and three grandchildren. Toni’s passion is seeing women find opportunity to reach their full potential. Toni loves serving customers in the café, working with people, basketball, and making collard greens. She is studying business at the Akron Institute. Toni is crazy about loving people, coffee, reading, and laughing.

Daryl Jackson, who is from the Adirondack mountain region of upstate New York. He heard about Urban Connection while co-directing a youth outreach ministry in Scranton, Pa. It took three years of prayer for Daryl to finally find his true calling to serve in Akron! Daryl’s passions include playing and following sports, cooking, writing, Bible study, serving up Akron’s finest awesome burgers, and basically keeping Urbean Cafe an amazing place to be every day. Daryl’s long-term focus in Akron is assisting in the planting of a multicultural church and eventually joining its pastoral staff.