A pair of early-morning gatherings is giving Southwest Orlando families one more reason to ease into the new school year with coffee in hand. Southwest Orlando Young Life and Foxtail Coffee are inviting students, parents, teachers and neighbors to start the week with free treats, welcoming volunteers and a little caffeine.
The First Bell events will run from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. next Tuesday at Foxtail Coffee Sand Lake and next Wednesday at Foxtail Coffee Horizon West, according to the Orange Observer. Guests will receive a free treat and a ticket redeemable for a complimentary coffee inside Foxtail, while Young Life volunteers provide a welcome at each stop.
Two Foxtail Stops Bookend The First School Week
The timing lines up with the Orange County Public Schools calendar, which lists next Tuesday as the first day of the 2026-27 school year. The district serves much of the Orlando area, so the Sand Lake gathering will land on the morning students head back to class, followed by the Horizon West event the next day, according to the district calendar.
Southwest Orlando Young Life launched this year as the newest local Young Life area in Central Florida, serving students throughout the Windermere, Horizon West and Dr. Phillips corridor. The organization’s Southwest Orlando site says its work centers on building relationships with middle and high school students, while the broader Central Florida directory lists Dr. Phillips and Windermere high schools along with Southwest WyldLife programs serving Bridgewater and Southwest Middle.
For Foxtail, the events bring a neighborhood welcome to two locations already listed among the company’s Florida cafes: Sand Lake and Horizon West. The Sand Lake shop is at 7610 W. Sand Lake Road in Orlando, while the Horizon West location is at 14393 Bridgewater Crossings Blvd. in Windermere, according to Foxtail’s location list.
