BACKYARD POLICY
Zarraffa's Coffee has always felt compelled to give back to the very community from which we operate, and therefore have displayed an active involvement in the local community.
This approach has been suitably named the 'Backyard Policy'. The aim of which is to take responsibility for the problems faced within our local community and by our nation.
Given the strong African representation of the organisation to create a relaxed, earthy theme throughout our stores, Zarraffa's Coffee could quite easily undertake community work within these countries, however, as an Australian organisation we feel that it is more important to focus on our native country's immediate threats.
Indeed, in these days of significant propensity for small business to fail in its early years, Zarraffa's Coffee has well served the local community. Not only has it targeted some of the most prominent national issues i.e. the environment and childhood health, but Zarraffa's has also enhanced the image of the Gold Coast as an innovative, vibrant, conducive business environment.
Australian Wildlife Warriors Worldwide:
Most recently Zarraffa's Coffee undertook a fundraising/awareness campaign with the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors. The project, initiated by Bob Irwin, father of the late Steve Irwin, is the first of its kind researching the mortality rates of male koalas in the Blackbutt region. Mr Bob Irwin and the Australian Wildlife Hospital staff observed a drastic decline in male koala survival rates, which prompted a $20,000 research project by the Australian Wildlife Warriors and the Australian Wildlife Hospital into the cause of this decline. By the end of the fundraising period, through various means Zarraffa's Coffee was able to present the Australian Wildlife Warriors and Mr Bob Irwin with a $24,000 check, enough to more than cover the project for the year. This was a dream come true after our passion for wildlife had grown considerably as we learned more and more about our impact on our own environment.
Koalas are listed as a vulnerable species in Australia, and they are just one small step away from becoming endangered. Zarraffa's Coffee set out to not only raise the $20,000 needed to fund this research, but to spread awareness to our coffee drinking population (and beyond) that we can all do something to help. We also aimed to communicate, as ambassadors for the Australian Wildlife Warriors, that Wildlife Conservation isn't just about the animals - it's also about our environment and the way we live as human beings.
Humans may well be the biggest threat to koala's and other Australian wildlife creatures, but we can also be their biggest hope. It is for this very reason that Zarraffa's Coffee participates in Clean Up Australia Day every year. By taking one day out to clean up our parks, streets and river systems, we take time to realise the damage that some of our little habits cost our environment over time. This initiative has become critical to the philanthropic work that Kenton Campbell and the Zarraffa's Coffee group promote.