You’ve Been Served… with Amazing Coffee, Topped with the Warm and Fuzzies
If you read our interview with Yas Matbouly, visionary Founder and President of Australia’s fastest growing charity Serving Our People (SOP), you know a little somethin’ somethin’ about this story. Based on the Gold Coast, SOP are excited to launch SERVED., the country’s first charity-owned, not-for-profit coffee shop…and so are we! Although it’s not exactly hard to coax us into trying a new coffee haunt, this hole in the wall at the charity’s Mermaid Beach headquarters serves your long black with a side of feel-good-factor. Just the way we like it.
SERVED. is an extra spesh initiative as 100% of profits will go directly to support SOP’s work across South East Queensland. It enables us, the local community, to help those who are struggling without spending more moolah than we normally would. In our humble opinions, this is #genius and we love that our enduring love affair with caffeine will now support a worthy cause – other than the quest for more energy.
Coffee snobs breathe a sigh of relief as SERVED. will use Melbourne-based ethically sourced St Remio coffee beans to please both your palette and your conscience. And if you’re not into coffee firstly, just huh?, and secondly, in addition to serving ‘The People’s Coffee’, there’s also refreshing juices and ‘The People’s Water’. So there is literally no excuse not to swing in on your AM stroll or drive to work for your morning refreshment and good deed for the day.
Funds raised will be used to prop up a range of the organisation’s projects, like their supermarket donation boxes, plenty more SERVED. outlets across our ‘hood and beyond, and various other growth ventures. Delivering anything to anyone in need, SOP has supported over 55,000 people in various capacities during their time of crisis.
Obviously COVID brought anything but good fortune for many businesses, but SOP is the ultimate feel-good COVID success story. Opening its doors in March 2020 as a logistics, delivery and emergency relief not-for-profit organisation, it has gone from strength to strength. Blossoming into a mobilised team of more than 2,100 volunteers across South East Queensland and New South Wales, they have delivered 19,000 meals, and more than 1,000 food packages; ‘bags of love’. We all know karma keeps her receipts so we reckon these outstanding individuals should buy lotto tickets, like immediately.
Another exciting SOP project is the launch of Queensland’s first ‘free supermarket. Here members of the community can collect essential non-perishable grocery items they need but are unable to afford #howgood. The supermarket is located at the organisation’s Mermaid Beach headquarters, which recently underwent a transformation into a modern community hub with a half-size basketball court, electric bicycles, and space for community activities and fundraising events.
And because these do-gooders just keep on keeping on, SOP are hosting a Christmas toy drive and pop-up gift-wrapping shop at Pacific Fair, with the public encouraged to purchase and donate gifts to those in need. Then, Christmas hampers and Pac Fair gift vouchers will be distributed to over 100 deserving peeps across the Gold Coast and we literally just got goosebumps.
Serving Our People Free Supermarket, Mermaid Beach (Image: © 2022 Inside Gold Coast)
So watch this space for more info on SOP’s amazing work and in the meantime, look for the bright blue and white awning and smiling faces at SERVED when you’re in Mermaid. Grab a coffee or refreshment and feel all the feels knowing that you’re doing your bit to help the less fortunate.
Where: 2582-2584 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach (entrance via 4-6 Seaview Avenue)
When: 5am – 2pm, Monday to Sunday
Words by Bianca Trathen.
To read the full article click here https://www.insidegoldcoast.com.au/served