August 2, 2016

Coffee with a side of generosity

Annual campaign encourages coffee lovers to support UOW student scholarships.

Throughout the month of August, your morning coffee will be providing more than just a caffeine hit – it will be helping UOW students to achieve their dreams.

Coffee for a Cause is back for 2016 with coffee shops and outlets across the UOW’s Australian campuses and throughout Wollongong lending their beans to the worthy initiative. 

The annual campaign, now in its eighth year, raises money for UOW’s Learning and Development Scholarship Fund, which supports students through equity scholarships.

It is the second year that Coffee for a Cause has moved off campus, with more than 30 coffee shops in Wollongong taking part this year.

This week (1-7 August), 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 UOW’s Sydney Business School, to be donated directly to student scholarships. 

Throughout the entire month of August, coffee lovers can continue contributing to the cause by making a gold coin donation at collection boxes on and off campus. 

Coffee for a Cause will also embrace the Olympics in a special morning tea on Friday 12 August. GPT will host the Olympic-themed event in a shipping container at Wollongong Central with all money raised to go towards Coffee for a Cause.

Since it was established in 2008, Coffee for a Cause has raised more than $22,000 for student equity scholarships through the generosity of staff, students, and the community.

UOW student Bianca Hunt, who is undertaking a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology, is receiving a scholarship from the Learning and Development Scholarship Fund, which she said has provided her with vital resources necessary to her degree.

“It’s been incredible to be able to access basic resources such as textbooks. I was also provided with a laptop donated via the Learning and Development Scholarship Fund, and it’s great to be able to use that for my studies,” Bianca said of the three-year scholarship. “It has been a huge stress relief for me and I would not have been as ready for university without the scholarship.”

Coffee outlets on UOW’s regional campuses, at Shoalhaven, Loftus, Moss Vale, Bega, Batemans Bay, as well as UOW Sydney Business School, Innovation Campus, and Wollongong Campus, are all taking part in the initiative.

In 2015, more than 16,500 coffees were sold during Coffee for a Cause, raising almost $4500 for student scholarships.

Kürtősh, located in Wollongong’s Globe Lane, is one of a number of local businesses taking part in Coffee for a Cause. 

It is the second year Kürtősh has been involved and manager Michael Jobson (pictured above) said the coffee shop was happy to help UOW provide scholarships for worthy students.

“We like to support local organisations, and it’s great to have that community involvement,” he said.

Coffee lovers are encouraged to show their support by tagging their social media photos with #UOWCoffee4ACause.