As Mother's Day approaches, Starbucks South Africa proudly recognises the heroism of Kim Allen and her Tiny Owls Baby Home staff, who provide essential care and human affection to abandoned and relinquished babies in our community.

Kim and Wayne Allen, the founders of Tiny Owls Baby Home, have a family of four biological and three adopted children. After experiencing the adoption process multiple times, they became aware of the many children needing permanent, loving families. This motivated them to create a safe haven for children who are being placed for adoption.

Tiny Owls Baby Home receives babies through private and state social workers, who are notified of babies by the police, local hospitals, crisis pregnancy centres, or directly from birth mothers. Most babies have been abandoned or relinquished due to extreme poverty, substance abuse, or other challenges. Babies arrive at the home typically within a few days of birth and stay for an average of six months.

To help address the challenges these babies face early in life, the staff at Tiny Owls Baby work closely with social workers, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists to evaluate their physical and emotional health. Specialised paediatricians sometimes provide therapy to ensure developmental milestones are reached. Thanks to these interventions, one of the babies previously placed in the special needs category was re-evaluated and declared as no longer having special needs.

Starbucks South Africa is proud to celebrate Tiny Owls Baby Home and their staff, who exemplify the spirit of motherhood through their dedicated care and compassion. As a brand that values humanity and human connection, Starbucks South Africa will hand deliver hampers to Tiny Owls Baby Home on Monday, May 15th, as a token of our appreciation for their outstanding work. We are thrilled to include a coffee-tasting experience hosted by our female black apron team, who will share their passion for exceptional coffee and a sense of service.

Our goal is to enhance the impact of this organization by increasing awareness of their work and garnering greater support from the community and businesses.

Leah McCrae, MD of Rand Capital Coffee, the licensee of Starbucks South Africa, emphasised the importance of supporting organisations like Tiny Owls Baby Home, stating, "At Starbucks, we believe that our business is not just about coffee, but also about creating positive human connections. We are honoured to collaborate with Tiny Owls Baby Home and other brands in our community to celebrate the heroism of the staff and the amazing mothers in our community this Mother's Day." 

Did you know?

Starbucks coffee is 99% ethically sourced and accredited by Conservation International under the C.A.F.E. Practices programme. Starbucks is committed to ethically sourcing coffee worldwide and including exceptional coffee from nine African countries – Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, Zambia, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

For more information, visit www.starbucks.co.za.

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ISSUED ON BEHALF OF STARBUCKS BY ANGELFISH PR & EVENTS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ANNIE HODES ON 083 325 4445.

About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with almost 33,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of speciality coffee globally. We bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles. To share the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at  www.starbucks.co.za.  Social media details @Starbucks_SA on Instagram, Twitter @Starbucks_SA Tik Tok @Starbucks_SA and @StarbucksSouthAfrica on Facebook