Change Please, A Social Enterprise Empowering The Homeless Launches In Perth This Week With Free Coffees

It’s no secret that Perth, and Australia as a whole, is pretty mad about its coffee.

Just recently we’ve run a few different articles talking about coffee and cafes around Perth that have stirred up plenty of debate.

But we feel like today’s article should inspire nothing but praise, with the Australian launch of UK-based initiative Change Please, right here in little old Perth.

It’s a social enterprise with the purpose of empowering people experiencing homelessness (something we know a lot of you are passionate about) through training them to be baristas.

Partnering with Perth-based coffee maestros Five Senses, Change Please will not only provide fully paid jobs, there is wellbeing, finance and onward employment support to go with it.

The latest census records show there are upwards of 9,000 homeless people in WA, with more than 1,000 without shelter.

It’s a damning statistic that only seems to get worse each and every year, which is why we’re excited (and proud) to see Change Please make its Aussie debut here.

“If we can just get a small proportion of coffee drinkers to simply change where they buy their coffee, we could really change the world,” said Australian Founder and CEO Niamh O’Connor on Change Please’s launch. “We provide fully paid jobs, while supporting the trainees wellbeing, therapy, finance and pathway into employment within the industry.”

“The number of people who have undergone barista training and are still working as baristas in the UK is a testament to the success of Change Please’s social enterprise philosophy – that of empowering people with a lifelong skill, which in turn allows them to undertake regular and valued work, while engaging with the local community.”

The official launch of the first Perth Change Please Coffee Cart will be this Wednesday 11 November, trading from 7am-10am and with free coffees for all first time customers!

To find out more about the program, or support further by buying your own beans from Change Please, head to their WEBSITE or follow them on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM.