The Russian-born owners of Denver-based Dazbog Coffee are raising funds for victims of the Ukrainian war, with proceeds being donated to relief efforts led by the International Committee of the Red Cross
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A Dazbog Coffee store in Denver | Photo credit: Aranami via Flickr
US-based coffee shop and roaster Dazbog Coffee is raising funds for the International Committee of the Red Cross to support the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.
The Denver-based coffee business is holding a fundraiser from 28 February-6 March to show its support for the citizens of Ukraine. The initiative will see Dazbog donate 5% of all in-store beverage sales during the period along with $3 per bag of its Svoboda “Freedom” Blend sold online and at participating stores.
Denver-based Dazbog has 25 coffee shops in the US alongside a retail and wholesale roasting business. The company was founded in 1996 by two former immigrants of the Soviet Union, siblings Anatoly and Leonid Yuffa, whose family fled Russia in 1979.
“My heart is with the people of Russia and at the same time Ukraine, and especially Ukraine right now, and it bleeds every time I see and read what's going on there,” Dazbog Coffee Co-Founder, Leo Yuffa, told reporters.
Dazbog, which means “God of Richness” in Russian, is a term often used to offer good wishes. The Yuffa’s journey as Russian immigrants in the US forms a central part of Dazbog’s brand, with the company promoting that their “journey from the cobblestone streets of Leningrad to the bustling Mile High City is the legacy of Dazbog Coffee.”
“I think about it every day – how grateful I am, what my parents sacrificed to get us here,” Leo Yuffa added.
Close to 400,000 Ukrainians have fled to neighbouring countries since Russia began its invasion of the country on 24 March. However, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) estimates that 4.5 million refugees could follow if the violence continues and intensifies.