We’ve always believed that books and coffee do something special when they’re shared. They slow us down, open conversations, and turn strangers into neighbors.

The Milena Chapter is our way of taking that belief beyond our walls. A mobile cafe and bookmobile bringing free books, storytime, literacy outreach, and pay-what-you-can artisan coffee directly into neighborhoods across our community.

Sometimes the coffee might be paid for.
But it can always be free.
The point is the warmth, the space to linger, read, talk, and belong.

Named for Abi’s younger sister Milena, whose empathy and love of reading inspire this work, the Milena Chapter is built as a partnership between Abi’s and the RVA community, shaping not just how it’s supported, but where it goes and who it serves.

To get this moving, we’ve invested into building a mobile coffee and book setup we can move around with a trailer, so this can serve both community outreach and for-profit events that help sustain the work.

What comes next will be a self-contained mobile option, funded through a mix of for-profit use and a community donation/share program, designed to keep the mission moving wherever it’s needed.

Our Books will travel.
Our Coffee will help people gather.
I hope as a result, COMMUNITY grows.

This is just the beginning.