A can for a coffee deal in Auckland

This is from last September but I hope it's still going and will continue to not just grow but also be something that others would copy too - story from idealog.co.nz

Auckland gets world’s first ‘can for a coffee’ cafe

By Vera Alves, September 16, 2013 @ 1:42 pm

If you love coffee and you love helping out those in need, then you'll love this idea. Auckland just got the world's first 'can for a coffee' pop-up cafe, on 13 Rose Rd (Grey Lynn).

The cafe is open 9am to 11am on Fridays and Saturdays and, during that time, people can trade a can of food for a cup of coffee. Every single can goes straight to the Auckland City Mission who then distributes them to those who need them.

Locals is a not-for-profit initiative and the brainchild of Brad Robinson, Oliver Johnston and Joshua Wong, supported by Caffe L'affare. The team hopes this new "can for a coffee" cafe will be the first of a number of them around the world, as they work to inspire other coffee roasters to create "Locals" of their own (if you're interested, check www.canforacoffee.com).

"Our motivation is pretty simple: We want to encourage businesses, whether coffee related or otherwise to help meet real needs in the local community. We believe that as business owners, we owe a responsibility to society at large. We would love to see more and more businesses that operate in a manner that is both profitable in the traditional sense and profitable to their surrounding community," says Wong.

The pop-up cafe is definitely going to be open for a month and its continuity will depend on how successful it is. So far, a few cafes have expressed interest in adopting the 'can for a coffee' movement on a weekly basis and the group has also had a few offers from volunteer baristas. The Facebook page has grown to almost a thousand "likes" in less than a week and Wong hopes the number will continue to go.

Dig through your pantry, find a can of something tasty and go trade it for a cup of coffee and some karma points at the Locals.

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