Een eerbetoon aan Max
Voor Max bleek het leven uiteindelijk een te zware reis. Soms vraagt het bestaan meer dan karakter of verstand alleen. En hoewel Max over beide beschikte, bleek dat niet genoeg. Hij was een scherp denker met kwetsbaarheid. Zijn aanwezigheid bracht rust, zijn woorden hadden gewicht, en zijn blik op de wereld had diepgang. Max was 19 jaar toen hij in 2021 besloot uit dit leven te stappen. Zijn hoofdstuk hier op aarde hield daar mee op. Maar een verhaal als dat van Max stopt niet bij de laatste bladzijde. Zijn energie en zijn warmte blijven voortleven. Niet in stilte, maar in beweging. In wat hij heeft achtergelaten en in de momenten waarop zijn naam wordt genoemd. Met Stichting FUCO roasters schrijft Max verder aan zijn verhaal. Elke kop koffie die wordt gezet en elk gesprek dat ontstaat, draagt iets van Max in zich mee. Zo laat hij op zijn eigen stille manier, vanuit zijn echte thuis, weten: ik ben er nog.
He says, "Son, can you play me a
memory? I'm not really sure how it goes. But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete when I wore a younger man's clothes"
"Well, I'm sure that I could be a
movie star If I could get out of this place"
Why coffee?
Because coffee connects. It’s accessible, honest, and enjoyable. A cup of coffee offers something we often lose sight of in modern life: space for a real conversation.
And that’s exactly where our mission begins.
What if a good conversation could make all the difference? In a world full of pressure, comparison, and noise, more and more young people are feeling mentally drained. The constant overload and performance stress are pushing our next generation into burnout, depression, and tragically; suicide. We refuse to accept that as normal.
But what if something simple and everyday as coffee could help break that cycle? That’s what FUCO Roasters Foundation stands for. We use coffee as a tool for connection, awareness, and resilience. With every cup served, we invest in projects that strengthen young people’s mental health. Every customer, partner, and donor becomes part of that mission.
How it started
FUCO Roasters Foundation began with two people and one question: “How can we create impact with coffee?"
Dave and Marise Lagendijk live and breathe coffee. For them, quality and impact are inseparable. Because you can’t create positive change with a bad cup of coffee. We see what coffee does: it brings people together, it opens conversations, and it brings joy. Whether it’s the first cup of the day at home, during a meeting at work, or shared at a café.
But we also noticed another side: young people losing their sense of connection, feeling pressured, or simply not knowing how to clear their minds. And that takes more than good intentions, it takes action.
What we do
We roast and sell high-quality specialty coffee, fully managed in-house. We know our partners at origin, regularly visit our farmers, and stand for a short, transparent supply chain. The proceeds from our coffee sales go directly to initiatives that support young people. Ranging from prevention campaigns and coaching programs to awareness projects and local community spaces.
We're not alone in this. Together with our customers, we create a ripple effect in the world of coffee. From small businesses to schools, gyms, and hospitality. FUCO brings something unique to every organization: The opportunity to make real impact with every cup of coffee served.
Every kilo of coffee, every donation, every conversation helps spread one powerful message: Young people are the future. Mentally resilient young people shape that future.
Want to help?
Join our mission. Your support and belief translate into a meaningful product for your business, organization, or home. With FUCO, you’re choosing not only quality in your cup, but also quality in someone else’s life. Together we make mental health part of the conversation.
