Over the past week Springvale Garden Cafe has given away 420 free coffees ... and in that same time their customers have donated 420 cans of food.

It's the second year in a row that the popular cafe has run its "coffee for cans" promotion - bring in one can and receive a free coffee in return.

Now the cafe has 420 cans of food which they will donate to the Whanganui Women's Refuge.

Cafe owner Lyn Crawford said the response had been "excellent".

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"People really got on board with it. I think they find the Women's Refuge a really worthwhile cause.

"We did it last year and we wondered if we should do something different this year.

"But it was so successful last year that we decided it would be best to do it again."

Mrs Crawford said she started the promotion because she believes in giving something back to the community, especially after the cafe won the Restaurant Association of New Zealand's best cafe award for the lower North Island in 2014 and 2015.

"We've been very successful here, and we're doing well. Everybody supported us so well, so I think it's important that we give something back to the community."

Mrs Crawford said Meadowfresh and Allpress Coffee sponsored the promotion.