BUSINESS: 639 PRACTICES
Coffee Island is one of the most recognized Greek companies in the coffee industry, founded in Patras in 1999. Starting from a single coffee shop, the company has evolved into a dynamic network with a strong presence in Greece and international operations, driven by a strong focus on coffee quality and expertise.
Coffee Island supports the “Women Say NO to Violence” initiative, implemented by Immortaliting NGO and the Association of Women’s Associations of Heraklion Prefecture, contributing to the expansion of the Safe Places network through its extensive store network across local communities throughout Greece.
The collaboration aims to strengthen awareness, sensitization and access for women experiencing or being at risk of gender-based violence to safe points offering guidance and referral to specialized support services.
At the same time, the initiative contributes to:
Coffee Island’s participation in the initiative is part of the People pillar of the company’s ESG strategy, actively reinforcing its social role within local communities.
The initiative primarily addresses women experiencing or being at risk of gender-based violence who need access to safe and accessible points offering information, guidance and referral to specialized support services.
At the same time, the initiative engages employees, franchisees and partners across the Coffee Island network, contributing to the dissemination of the message against gender-based violence and informing the public about the Safe Places network.
The initiative also addresses the wider public, strengthening awareness and public dialogue around zero tolerance towards violence against women.
The action began in 2025 and continues actively, in April 2026, 18 more Safe Places were added in Thessaloniki, Agrinio, Aigio, Alexandroupoli, Athens, Achaia, Grevena, Corinth, further expanding the nationwide footprint of the action.
As part of the “Women Say NO to Violence” initiative, implemented by Immortaliting NGO and the Association of Women’s Associations of Heraklion Prefecture, Coffee Island leveraged its extensive store network and communication channels to strengthen the visibility and accessibility of the Safe Places network across local communities throughout Greece.
Coffee Island’s contribution was based on:
As part of the initiative, 22 Coffee Island stores initially joined the Safe Places network across different regions of Greece, while today the network includes 41 locations nationwide, accessible through the initiative’s official Safe Places map (https://sayno2violence.gr/en/safe-places/). At the same time, informational webinars, awareness activities and extensive distribution of promotional material across the Coffee Island store network significantly strengthened the initiative’s public visibility and recognition.
A key element of Coffee Island’s participation was leveraging its everyday presence within local communities as an accessible point for information and social awareness, expanding the reach of the initiative’s message across Greece.
Coffee Island’s participation in the “Women Say NO to Violence” initiative substantially strengthened the visibility and accessibility of the Safe Places network across local communities throughout Greece, leveraging the company’s extensive store network and communication channels.
By the end of 2025, 22 Coffee Island stores were operating as certified Safe Places across different regions of the country, while by April 2026 an additional 18 locations had joined the network, further expanding the initiative’s nationwide footprint. The Safe Places network now extends across Attica, Thessaloniki, Patras, Crete, Larissa, Ioannina, Kozani, Ptolemaida and Pyrgos, strengthening the initiative’s local accessibility.
The initiative also contributed to the awareness and activation of the Coffee Island network, with approximately 110 employees, franchisees and partners participating in an informational webinar delivered by the initiative’s specialized organizations.
At the same time, public awareness activities were implemented at participating Safe Places stores, while informational and promotional material was distributed across more than 100 additional Coffee Island stores, significantly strengthening the initiative’s visibility and public reach.
The communication outreach of the initiative was further supported through organic social media communication, influencer activation and media publicity. In this context, 85 influencers participated, 77 stories and reels related to the campaign were created with an estimated PR Value of €19,145. The initiative was further strengthened through publications and digital promotion around the message against gender-based violence.
Across local communities throughout Greece, through Coffee Island stores participating in the Safe Places program, including Attica, Thessaloniki, Patras, Crete, Larissa, Ioannina, Kozani, Ptolemaida and Pyrgos, while the network continues to expand with additional locations.
The “Women Say NO to Violence” initiative is implemented by Immortaliting NGO and the Association of Women’s Associations of Heraklion Prefecture, two organizations actively engaged in the prevention and response to gender-based violence, the support of vulnerable social groups and social protection initiatives.
The Association of Women’s Associations of Heraklion Prefecture is a recognized organization supporting women and children affected by abuse, with long-standing experience in counseling, protection and social intervention services. Immortaliting NGO focuses on promoting social inclusion, equality and the protection of human dignity through awareness, sensitization and social support initiatives.
The two organizations have developed and continue to support the Safe Places program, providing the necessary expertise, training and guidance for the operation of the network. Within this framework, Coffee Island participates as a supporting partner, leveraging its extensive store network and communication channels to strengthen the initiative’s accessibility and message dissemination.
The “Women Say NO to Violence” program operates under the auspices of the Bodossaki Foundation.
The participation of employees, partners and volunteers substantially supported the implementation and dissemination of the “Women Say NO to Violence” initiative across the Coffee Island network and the local communities involved in the initiative.
As part of the initiative, an informational webinar was organized with the participation of approximately 110 employees, franchisees and partners across the Coffee Island network, aiming to raise awareness around the role and operation of the Safe Places network, the contribution of participating stores and the guidance process towards specialized support services presented by the responsible organizations.
At the same time, volunteers from the Association of Women’s Associations of Heraklion Prefecture carried out public awareness activities at participating Safe Places stores in Crete, while volunteers from Immortaliting NGO conducted corresponding awareness visits at participating stores in Attica.
Network participation was particularly active, with partners across the Coffee Island network expressing interest in integrating additional stores into the Safe Places program, further strengthening the initiative’s local expansion.
Coffee Island’s participation in the “Women Say NO to Violence” initiative substantially strengthened the social dimension of the company’s ESG strategy, connecting the People pillar with an initiative generating direct social impact within the local communities where its network operates.
Through supporting and expanding the Safe Places network, Coffee Island leveraged its extensive store network and communication channels as a platform for social awareness and increased accessibility of the initiative, reinforcing its social role beyond traditional corporate responsibility practices.
The initiative also contributed to:
At the same time, the participation of approximately 110 employees and partners in an informational webinar, together with the continuous expansion of the Safe Places network, strengthened the long-term momentum and sustainability of Coffee Island’s participation in the initiative.
