On February 24th, the Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine by land, sea, and air. Ukraine, a country with a population of 34 million, is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia.
As Russian forces advanced towards the capital, Kyiv, many Ukrainians took refuge in bomb shelters, scared and confused, unsure what was happening. The voices of bombs and shelling by the Russian forces haunt the streets of Ukraine. Attacks by the Russian army have also caused Ukrainian casualties, and many are forced to live in fear, worrying about their own, their families’, and their homeland’s safety.
Many Ukrainians fled for their safety to neighboring Poland had opened their borders for them. Many other countries also accepted Ukrainian refugees, as about a million Ukrainians had to flee their homeland for the sake of safety.
Other than accepting refugees and even taking them to their homes, people have been helping the Ukrainians in other ways as well. Many big companies, including Netflix and Google, imposed sanctions on Russia.
As the Ukrainian markets run out of food and other essential items, we must take action and do all we can to help the people of Ukraine. The coffee community, too, poured in with their contributions to help the Ukrainian people.
Here’s how the coffee industry has been helping the people of Ukraine through this invasion:
The World of Coffee event was to take place in Warsaw, Poland, this year, where the coffee-loving community gathers and showcases new coffee products and has fun opportunities like the Roaster’s Village, tasting rooms, and the Brew and Espresso Bar, to name a few. The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) will be donating 100% of the revenue collected from ticket sales at this event and donating it to coffee businesses in Ukraine.
“We strongly condemn the Russian regime’s invasion of Ukraine and the violence and displacement being inflicted… We have also made the difficult decision to suspend Russia’s participation in the World Coffee Championships’’– said Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association.
- The Russian Coffee community itself condemned the attack on Ukraine and expressed its support for the Ukrainians.
- SCA of Poland and the Czech Republic also offered support to displaced Ukrainians, including transportation, housing, and employment opportunities.
- Department of Brewology, a coffee design company, promised to donate its earnings from its “Make Coffee Not War” prints to the International Rescue Committee. The IRC is providing food, medical care, and emergency supplies to Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
- The Art of Coffee, Dublin, has turned all its coffee shops as points to drop off emergency supplies to Ukraine, which they’ll be collecting and providing to the Ukrainian people in need.
- Dublin’s Cloud Picker Coffee Roasters will be holding a raffle to benefit UNICEF, with three prizes (including a Victoria Arduino White Eagle Digit espresso machine) to be given away.
- UNICEF is also helping Ukrainian children who are in need. And not just that, The Cloud Picker Coffee Roasters is giving out 2 free plane tickets from Poland to Dublin for Ukrainian refugees, and they will be providing employment opportunities to them as well.
- In a bid to help those in areas of conflict, Dazbog Coffee USA has promised to donate every $3 earned from its Svoboda Freedom blend to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
- Hard Beans Coffee Roasters, Poland, has also promised to help the Ukrainian people in need. They will be collecting supplies to donate to the Ukrainian people in need and transporting them to Ukraine. They posted a list of things most needed by the people on their Instagram page and are also recruiting Ukrainian-speaking people to help at the emergency help centers.
- Global Calibration, an educational platform, will hold the world’s largest Coffee Training event on April 29th. They will then be donating all earnings of the ticket sales to a local aid organization of SCA Ukraine’s choosing.
- County Wicklow roaster McCabe’s Coffee, Ireland has donated all profits from sales in their online store on March 7th to the Irish Red Cross Ukraine appeal.
- Bell Lane Coffee in Westmeath, Ireland, has said that they will donate all sales of Colombia Los Alpes to UNICEF for the Ukrainian people.
- The Coffee Vine, a coffee subscription service, has compiled a list of contacts for many humanitarian organizations and fundraisers, including some focused on the LGBTQ+ community in Ukraine. The Coffee Vine is also raising money for Michal Brzozowski, a volunteer providing immediate aid and support at the Polish border.
- The Curious Roo Coffee Roasters in London is selling online bags of retail coffee to support non-profit organizations, which will directly aid the Ukrainian people.
- Kawiarnia Powidoki has organized several events and fundraisers, one where they provided customized shirts to people and gave all their proceeds to the Ukrainian people in need.
- Brandy Wine Coffee Roasters, Delaware, has launched a limited-edition coffee, and all its earnings will be donated to the International Rescue Committee in Ukraine.
- Woodland Coffee Shop in Brentwood, UK, is helping collect food and clothing for the homeless and needy in Ukraine.
- Chipp Coffee Co. has launched a new charity coffee stand to help the Ukrainian Fundraising Charities.
- Java Coffee Roasters of Warsaw, Coffee Desk in Warsaw, and Wild Child Coffee Co. of Coweta, Oklahoma, have all pledged a percentage of their sales to humanitarian organizations working for Ukraine.
As the conflict progresses, the Ukrainian people are plunged deeper into the crisis. Now is the time we all act and provide all we can to help the people of Ukraine and do our part in ensuring that they reach the other side of the conflict strong and supported.
With thanks to Tasmin Grant, Managing Editor at Perfect Daily Grind, for helping us find these sources.
