Hi Coconut Friends -
I hope this post finds you safe.
As the fires rage around Australia, most of us feel helpless, sad, desperate to do something. My family is lucky - we live in the tropics, where water is in abundance and fires are rare. For that I am thankful.
In the face of tragedy, our human compassion stirs us to do something.
In recent days, millions of dollars of donations are coming in from all over the world to RFS, Red Cross, Animal Hospitals, and others. This is wonderful! - and I understand that donating money is helpful while also helping us feel empowered to fight the problem.
Our family donated to a Kangaroo Island wildlife charity. Like most people, we are saddened by the koala loss and visited Kangaroo Island years ago. We can all donate something, and every bit helps.
But I'm bothered about businesses that "donate X% of profits to charity" or "$1 from every item will go to charity." I, too, thought about doing this from Beach Harvest... but it rubs me the wrong way because I question if the motivations of the businesses are selfless and transparent.
Say a normal sales day is $100. But, if Business X advertises that they are donating some of their sales to charity, and the sales for the day increase to $500 as a result of this, isn't the business the one that profits? And where's the accountability about the charitable donation?
I could be pessimistic - I've previously heard scam stories of people claiming to raise money for "charity", only to find it was a con. And of course, I'm sure most businesses have good intentions - not all are bad.
So, Beach Harvest will not be doing any of these "buy from us and we will donate x" bushfire donation appeals. We are open for business as usual (and of course would love your support, as always), but I'm also taking the time to be thankful for my family, a roof over our heads, and the wet weather of the tropics. There are so many people & animals needing help, and, again, we can all donate something.
We also plan to donate again when the fires have settled - from our business. Maybe koalas like coconut chips? I'd love to send them some, but I have a feeling their human carers may appreciate them more. For now, the koalas need money for medical supplies, and that's something we can give.
Sending you love during this bushfire crisis,
Casey, Jesse, and kids