Recently, when Staff Sgt. Ralph Godinez was named the 2012 Tacoma-Pierce County Citizen Soldier of the Year, his co-workers learned of a secret: coffee.

"They all wanted to know why I hadn't sold them coffee yet," he said with a laugh. "I just never wanted to make them feel obligated."

Since 2010, Godinez has been on orders and has worked fulltime on McChord Field in the personnel section, supporting the many deployments of the Airmen in his unit, the 728th Airlift Squadron. He has also worked for Comcast, known for its commitment to military employees, for the past decade.

For Godinez and his wife, Amie, the coffee represents more than caffeine; it is a fundraiser they started seven years ago following their twins' in-the-womb diagnosis with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). TTTS is found only in identical twins and occurs when the placenta does not split evenly, leading to unequal development and blood distribution. Unfortunately, despite surgery and excellent care, they lost one of their daughters, Victoria.

Their daughter who survived, Virginia, is now seven years old and has been joined by brother Gideon, 6, and sister Charlotte, 2.

Coffee sales of Café Dos Niñas are held twice a year; in late March, to honor Victoria's passing, and in December for the holiday season. Though they always want to sell more, they have usually relied on word-of-mouth and repeat customers.

"We did this so we always remember and so that we could deal with our grief," he explained. "Plus we are giving back to something that we feel strongly about."

Each bag of coffee is sold for $10, and aside from basic overhead, all of the proceeds go directly to the cause. In fact, Godinez pays any shipping for long distance orders out of pocket. Luckily, they have cultivated a solid relationship with Olympic Crest Roasters and can ensure that the product remains of high quality. The coffee is also sold to Godinez at a steady, fair price.

While the Godinezes' fundraising does go toward the TTTS cause, it does not go directly to the TTTS foundation; instead, the couple send checks to Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland (where they were seen and one of the few TTTS specialists works) and instruct that the monies be earmarked for the families of newly diagnosed TTTS cases. The funds go to helping the families that are traveling in from out-of-state, or just from a distance, and to help cover miscellaneous expenses they might face while seeking treatment in Kirkland.

"We've had no communication with any of the families we've helped, its totally anonymous," Godinez said. "But we know this is something that can make a difference and make things easier on these families."

For more on Café Dos Niñas, visit www.facebook.com/pages/Café-Dos-Niñas/17936721207418