Coffee for a Cause helping students access education

Annual campaign donates funds from every coffee sold to equity scholarships

It’s that time of year again, when your daily caffeine hit comes with a dash of generosity.

Throughout the month of September, the University of Wollongong (UOW) is holding its annual Coffee for a Cause, which supports students through equity scholarships.

Coffee shops and outlets across UOW and Wollongong will be lending their beans to the worthy initiative with all money raised to help students achieve their dreams.

The campaign kicked off today (Tuesday 4 September) at UOW’s Rush 3 with staff gathering in the White Cedar Courtyard to get their morning brew and donate to the cause.

Students and staff are encouraged to indulge in an extra coffee or two with 20 cents from every cup sold on UOW’s eight campuses, including regional campuses and Sydney Business School, to be donated to the University’s Learning and Development Scholarship Fund.

There will be donation boxes provided at participating outlets, the perfect way to use all your loose change, and during the month, there will be coffee-related events happening across campus to raise additional funds, including a Tiramisu Pop-Up on 11 September outside UOW Library.

Now in its 11th year, Coffee for a Cause has continued to thrive since it was launched in 2008. It has now raised more than $37,000 for student scholarships, through the generosity of staff, students, and the community.

The initiative is organised by UOW Cares, a program that helps staff to make a difference by making regular donations to charitable organisations.

Mitchell Brown, Project Officer for UOW’s Advancement Division, oversaw this year’s Coffee for a Cause campaign and said the event was a great way for UOW’s legions of coffee drinkers to make a difference as part of their daily routine.

“UOW has a number of great coffee shops and it’s fair to say that most of us, at some point during the day, duck out for a coffee or two,” Mitchell said. “Coffee for a Cause ensures that our caffeine addictions are having a positive impact by helping students to achieve their dreams. The initiative receives such tremendous support from staff and students. It is the perfect excuse to have a coffee every day.”

In addition to coffee shops at UOW campuses, a number of businesses throughout Wollongong are also supporting the campaign, including, Coffee Emporium (Wollongong Central), Connies Café (North Wollongong), The White Rabbit (Keiraville), Zanders Bakehouse (Keiraville), and Gwynneville Bakery and Café.

For more information on Coffee for a Cause, visit the website and don’t forget to use the tag #uowcoffee4acause on social media for the month of September.