Nestled near one of the most notorious streets on Oahu is a unique nonprofit group that’s fighting crime with coffee, charity and community building.

The Surfers Coffee Bar, which dedicates its profits to local and international causes, is one of a handful of businesses on Kame­ha­meha Highway in Wahiawa that are revamping the downtown area.

The shop brews up fair-trade coffee from Stumptown Roasters, a premium brand from Portland, Ore., known for its quality beans and edgy image. The large, open space is furnished with Starbucks hand-me-downs and kitchen equipment from Wendy’s. The decor includes overstuffed chairs, ceiling fans, colorful artwork, old photos and surfing memorabilia. Live music, open-mic nights and art shows are some of the evening events.

Chris Jordan, business production manager, said Surfers Coffee Bar stays open until 10 p.m. to promote healthy nighttime fun for the Wahiawa community.

The coffee shop, run by Surfing the Nations, a "surfing ministry" founded by old-time Hawaii surfer Tom Bauer, is hoping what goes around comes around. It launched a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign in order to raise $15,000 for a better espresso machine, filtration system and coffee grinder. By Monday morning $11,319 had been donated, but the shop won’t receive any money unless it raises the full amount.The campaign ends Friday.

"Right now all the equipment we have is probably around third- to fourth-hand," said Jordan. "They’ve been used for a very long time. They’re all getting to that point where we really need to reinvest."

The 2-year-old shop’s presence near Ohai Street has brought about a marked transformation of the adjacent block, which has a long-standing reputation for crime and violence.

"Ohai Street always had a shady reputation," said Robert Lormand, a member of the Wahiawa Neighborhood Board. "I believe that area used to be called ‘Blood Town’ back in the ’20s and ’30s."

When Surfers Coffee Bar moved into the old Top Hat Bar in June 2011, its immediate neighbors were a pornography shop, a strip club and a liquor store. Soldiers from nearby Schofield Barracks were forbidden to frequent Ohai Street and the blocks around it, according to Jordan.

"The commanding officer said, ‘You can’t go to this area’ because there was so much bad stuff going on," Jordan said.

Yet on a recent afternoon there were a handful of people kicking back in the coffee shop, including a military serviceman in uniform. The more than 40 staff members, including baristas, are volunteers. On this day two friendly female baristas were taking orders, recommending the iced soy chai to a thirsty reporter.

Bagels, cookies, muffins and açai bowls also are on the menu. The cookies come from PJ’s Bakery on the North Shore.

Many of the coffee shop staff, including Jordan, got their start through an internship program run by Surfing the Nations.

"Locally all the money we make is put back into the programs of Surfing the Nations," Jordan said. "We go on surf trips that are also humanitarian trips where we bring clothes for the children and surf supplies for the kids. We also have local surf outreaches in the community."

Karen Domingo, a 27-year-old lifelong resident of the Wahiawa-Mililani area, brought her barista expertise to the table when she began volunteering four months ago.

"I’ve been a customer here since they opened two years ago," Domingo said. "I would never be caught dead in (this) street (a few years ago). It was just not the safest place to be around. After (Surfers Coffee Bar) came here, we could definitely see a transformation. Being a local and being part of the community, I want to be part of that."

Wahiawa Neighborhood Board member Alesia Au said new business growth was one of the reasons behind the block’s transformation, citing Walgreens and Teddy’s Bigger Burgers as newcomers with a positive presence.

"Renovation with new buildings and new businesses cleared up the area," Au said. "It’s had a significant change."

The change came swiftly. Since moving in, three neighboring storefronts were purchased by Surfing the Nations: It’s leasing one space to Mobi PCI, while another lease is in the works for a nonprofit vintage clothing store.

Jordan said that while Surfing the Nations and its various charitable efforts attract many Christians, the work it does is strictly humanitarian and does not involve proselytizing.

Locally, the nonprofit runs a surf program for Wai­anae youths and sponsors an after-school tutoring program in Wahiawa called Ulu Pono. The group also works with the Hawaii Foodbank to distribute food to the needy. A surf club in Bangladesh, which teaches street kids how to be lifeguards, is Surfing the Nations’ latest international endeavor.

At Surfers Coffee Bar, local youths are brought in to learn the coffee trade.

"In the past six months, we’ve trained a couple of local kids from the community in barista skills. We were able to train an 18-year-old as a barista, and now he’s at Green World Farm (another coffee shop in Wahiawa). That’s something that we envision for the future — using the coffee bar as a platform to give other people job skills," Jordan said.

While Jordan and the rest of the Surfers Coffee Bar crew are hopeful they’ll reach the $15,000 mark in their Kickstarter campaign, they feel as though their presence is spreading positive vibes throughout the Wahiawa community regardless.

"We love our location in Wahiawa," Jordan said. "We’ve really had this idea of community excellence. Even if we are volunteers, we want to act like we’re being paid millions of dollars for this job. That’s what our director Tom Bauer says."

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To donate or for information, visit www.kickstarter.com and search for "Surfers Coffee Bar."