Raising money and awareness through coffee

The week of October 18, 2010, Kappa Delta Pi, the Early Childhood Club, and the Childhood Studies Club raised money and awareness for those suffering in Africa from drinking water supply shortages, by selling t-shirts and coffee from Global Benefits, a non-profit organization that works to end the effects of poverty in countries across the globe.

Kappa Delta Pi is an Education Major Honors Society that has its members partake in at least ten hours of community service at PSU. The society usually engages and works with Gowns for Girls, Polar Express and other various community service projects. However, this is the first year that the group has participated in a fundraiser with Global Benefits. "My hope is that this doesn't end this semester or with the fundraiser to bring awareness to Global Benefit," said President of Delta Kappa Pi and the Early Childhood Club Denise Sprague.

Each day, 4,900 people die due to a lack of clean water. What is an easily accessible and abundant resource in the United States is causing a great deal of devastation in other countries across the globe. "A lack of clean water worldwide, but especially in Africa, is a ‘global crisis,'" House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Donald Payne said on America.gov's website.

"We are currently working on this fundraiser to sell shirts and coffee to help the shortage of water in Africa through Global Benefits," said Kappa Delta Pi member Katie Cotnoir. The society was available all week from 10-2 giving out free samples of coffee. "It's for a great cause, and while fifteen dollars may seem a little expensive for a pound of coffee, ten of it goes towards Global Benefit and helping water shortages in Africa, which will open up so many doors for them," said Kappa Delta Pi Junior Matt Wellmann while running the table on Tuesday morning.

But why coffee? Well, the coffee actually is made and produced by African workers, so the income helps them to make a living as well. "It's a staple drink," Sprague pointed out. "Think about it, do you drink coffee, or know someone who drinks coffee?"

If you would like to find out more about the fundraiser, the founder of Global Benefit will be coming to talk with the three participating clubs on October 26th at 5pm in HUB 109. For further information about community service projects that Kappa Delta Pi will participate in this semester, please contact president Denise Sprague.