'A heartfelt thank you': Organisers of Coffee for Palestine campaign thank customers for support
Participating businesses pledged the value of 10 coffees a day for seven days to the Coffee For Palestine campaign from June 23 to June 29.
The campaign reached many counties across Ireland, with more than 270 cafés, 51 of which were Cork-based, as well as Monks Coffee Roasters in Amsterdam and Humble Coffee in South Africa, participating this year.
But what made the campaign's impact even more special was a message received by participating café, the Palestinian-owned Izz Café, directly from Gaza.
Izz Café shared photos of one of their friends in Gaza standing amidst the ruins of their home, holding up the Coffee for Palestine campaign poster.
The team at Izz Café said the photos left them speechless and were brought to tears "because it showed that love and solidarity reached them'.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner about the campaign, Clare Condon of Good Day Deli said: 'Coffee For Palestine all began in June 2024 when it got to the point where we were so appalled and distraught about what was happening in Gaza, that we felt we had to do something as opposed to watching it on our screens helplessly.
'It was pretty clear that a lot of people in our industry wanted to do something also, but there was a lot of uncertainty around how to help or which organisation to donate to.
'I approached Eman from Izz Café and Deirdre from Studio Boon with the idea to ask cafés to pledge 10 coffees per day for 7 days to our campaign. The idea was simple and had the potential to raise a lot of funds with a multiplier effect of others joining. Eman and Deirdre were immediately on board and we started planning our campaign for September.
'Eman guided us on the political and cultural sensitivities and chose the charities for the campaign, as she has the best knowledge on what is happening on the ground.
Clare Condon of Good Day Deli and co-founder of the Coffee for Palestine campaign.
'Deirdre designed the logo and the visual identity of the campaign. The Coffee For Palestine logo utilises the tatreez coffee bean motif, known as 'Habbet Binn' ةبح نب. This symbol holds cultural significance in Palestinian embroidery, particularly in the Jaffa and Gaza regions. Serving as a delightful and intricate representation of a coffee bean, a fundamental element in Palestinian hospitality and social gatherings, this motif symbolizes warmth and welcome. The colour palette is inspired by the food and flora of Palestine.'
Condon said a lot of thought, work, planning and strategy went into their first campaign, with an aim to keep the campaign as simple and as sharable as possible so that it was easy for others to get involved and raise as much funds as possible.
More than 150 cafés and restaurants were involved in 2024 and more than €50,000 was raised for charities and communities on the ground in Gaza.
Condon said that the goal for this year's campaign was to engage even more cafés and restaurants to raise more funds – a goal which was met, with more than 270 establishments taking part this year.
'We had a new volunteer Campaign Manager, Emer, and Creative Producer, Shahd this year who were instrumental in widening the reach across Ireland,' Condon said.
She spoke of the importance of the campaign to show people in Gaza support and compassion by raising awareness and letting them know that we are thinking of them everyday and said 100% of proceeds from the campaign will go directly to five organisations providing urgent support on the ground in Gaza.
Those organisations include: Gaza go Bragh, a grassroots Irish initiative fundraising directly for emergency aid, water and food in Gaza; Unicef Gaza Gaza Crisis Response, delivering life-saving supplies and protection for children in Gaza; Medicine Sans Frontiers, offering vital surgical care, medical aid, and mental health services in Gaza's overwhelmed hospitals; Palestinian Red Crescent Society, emergency medical responders, providing ambulances, trauma care, and humanitarian relief; and Communities on the Ground, a community-led giving initiative selected by Eman from Izz Café.
'It's also important to support the cafés and restaurants that have committed to donating to the campaign. Small independent cafés and restaurants are so important in our communities and often have social impact goals as well as running businesses,' Condon said.
Speaking following this year's campaign, Eman Alkarajeh said: 'From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who shared a cup of coffee with us, you shared much more than a drink; you shared hope.
'A very special thank you to my dear friends Deirdre from Studio Boon and Clare from Good Day Deli, who stood beside me with their warm hearts and strong voices. This campaign would not have been the same without you. You made it feel like I wasn't alone, you made it feel like Palestine was right here with us.
'And to our talented friend who designed and printed our beautiful logo, thank you for giving our message a face. Your work brought light, even when the skies over Gaza were dark. From Gaza from under the rubble, from Cork with all our love, Thank you. We will never stop talking about Palestine.'
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