A New Brunswick businesswoman has combined her love of coffee and canines in an effort to help animals in need.
“After I graduated from Dal with my business degree, I was working a corporate job and I found that even though I was learning a lot, I wasn’t feeling very fulfilled,” says Claire Vaughan. “I’ve always had a great love for animals.”
She started the Rescue Coffee Company two years ago. Her coffee is fair trade and organic and – with a motto of ‘Sip a Cup, Save a Pup – 10 per cent of all sales are donated to different animal shelters.
“I get fresh coffee shipped up to me from my roaster, I fulfill all my online orders here, and take care of all my New Brunswick accounts here as well,” says Vaughan, who sells the coffee out of her garage in Dieppe, N.B.
Vaughan helps organizations such as the PEI Human Society, Save Our Scruff in Toronto, and the SPCA in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. She says 10 per cent of her coffee sales in each area go back to the corresponding shelter.
“We’re absolutely thrilled that they chose us as one of their charities of choice,” says Nanette Pearl of the Greater Moncton SPCA. “Not only do we get a chance to give back to them by promoting and selling here, we get part of the proceeds of their sales, so it’s a really good relationship.”
Vaughan says business is booming, with up to 400 pounds of coffee being shipped from her garage each month.
“I’d love to bring it across the country,” she says. “We’re in all the Maritime provinces, working on Newfoundland.”
So far, Vaughan has donated $2,500 to the chosen animal shelters.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis
