May/June 2022: Impact Update

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Meet Our Members: Anne and Major Cohen

MAY/JUNE 2022

As a former Starbucks coffee education leader, Major Cohen is a coffee enthusiast through and through. He even combined his love of coffee with his educational background and authored a book on the subject, Coffee for Dummies.

Impact Update: GivingTuesday

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Major’s introduction to coffee was as a child in the 1950s. Dipping into her stash of “special coffee,” his mother would use a pour-over brewer. The result was lifelong memories filled with unmatched aromas and flavor.

The Power of One Day

During his early days at Starbucks, he met Anne Schaefer. Anne is a talented chef, but her passion for the environment and trees was what they quickly bonded over. Major said, “I’ve always appreciated the outdoors and trees, but not nearly as much as I did when I met Anne.”

Anne has made the gift even more meaningful by incorporating the Trees in Celebration certificates in handmade books as wedding presents. Each carefully crafted book highlights the importance of trees and uniquely celebrates each couple’s union through tree planting in honor of their special day.

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Arbor Day Foundation

Photo Credit: Victoria Kaiser

A few years later, when looking for a home in Seattle, they saw one with a majestic tree in the front yard that towered over the neighborhood. Anne didn’t need to see the house behind the tree; she was sold. They still live there today.

Anne and Major shared that they enjoy supporting the Arbor Day Foundation through the Trees in Celebration program saying, “It links to what we believe in. That is why the commemorative program is so important to us — because it shows the recipients we care about them while bringing them into the fold of what is so important to us.”

ndividually, we can all make a difference for our planet. But it’s when we work together that the real magic happens.

Such was the case with GivingTuesday, which took place on November 30 of last year. On that day, through a new matching campaign and enthusiastic donor support, the Arbor Day Foundation was able to raise enough funds to plant 464,440 trees for forests across the United States — more than doubling its original goal.

After 20 years of teaching photography, Major decided to turn his passion into a career and joined the coffee world as a Starbucks barista in the early 90s. With his background in education, he quickly moved into a training role that eventually took him around the world.

Their love of the environment and the importance of trees intersected with the coffee industry’s realization of the importance of sustainable agroforestry to the future of coffee. It became a huge part of the training program during Major’s career, further solidifying the importance of trees for the industry and humanity. Thankfully, that training and mindset still carry on and have become a permanent part of the culture.

Nearly half a million trees planted by members, supporters

Major and Anne Cohen pose with their dog in front of their prized evergreen tree, a symbol of the legacy they hope carries on for generations. The importance of trees and inspiring others continues to be a center point of Anne’s and Major’s lives. When asked how their philanthropy reflects their lives and values, it was clear this is something they haven’t just thought about, they’ve lived. “Because we don’t have any kids, and we know we are able to be philanthropic to some degree, the legacy is tied to the things we’ve been passionate about in our life like the Arbor Day Foundation and the link to trees. We understand that once you are gone, you are gone. But if you can leave a piece of yourself, not so people will know your name, but so that the work you believed in would carry on, then that’s the best you can do.”

211 N. 12th St.

Lincoln, Nebraska 68508

GivingTuesday was established in 2012 to encourage people worldwide to support charitable causes they care about. It serves as a powerful annual fundraiser for nonprofits nationwide, with 35 million participants and $2.7 billion donated in 2021 alone. “This extraordinary show of generosity lit up the world against a backdrop of a dark two years. From every corner of the globe, there were countless amazing stories of kindness, connection, and community,” said Asha Curran, co-founder and CEO of GivingTuesday, in a press release. The Arbor Day Foundation’s record-setting donation campaign was one of those stories. It allowed supporters to double their usual impact — every dollar they donated planted a tree, and that tree was matched by other generous donors. The Foundation’s original goal for Giving Tuesday was to plant 200,000 trees. But thanks to the incredible generosity from supporters like you, we will plant nearly half a million trees in response to this day of giving! Over the next 40 years, these trees are estimated to: • Filter 26,519,524 gallons of stormwater • Sequester 619,739 metric tons of carbon • Absorb 1,788 tons of air pollution What an incredible impact! It’s never been easier to donate to plant trees and make a difference, and we are so grateful for our dedicated supporters who made this a reality.

You can find more ways to plant trees — with a shovel or without — at arborday.org/takeaction.


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May/June 2022: Impact Update by Arbor Day Foundation - Issuu