Eighteen months ago she initiated the Little Apple Project at Estabar to raise money for children in war-torn Syria.

Her act of kindness has prompted community conversations while also raising $3769.35 for global charity Save the Children.

Now, she is plotting her next charity project and has encouraged other businesses to take action to help others too.

The Little Apple Project started because Ms Bowie said she reached “boiling point” after hearing endless stories from Syria.

“I was feeling frustrated about not doing anything, so I just did it,” Ms Bowie said.

She set up a basket full of seasonal fruit sourced from the Farmers Markets each week at her cafe opposite Newcastle beach.

Customers can donate money to the cause in exchange for a piece of fruit.

“I wanted to find a charity that really worked so I researched on the internet to find one that would be the most effective,” she said.

Ms Bowie discovered the work of Save the Children, a global non-government organisation which offers aid to children in need around the world.

She said the fruit basket concept had been well-received and had more benefits than just raising funds for children in need.

“It’s a bit of a novelty for kids to put some money in the jar and get out an apple, but it’s also a nice opportunity to talk to children about the experiences of other children around the world, and a chance to be able to give as a daily part of their lives,” Ms Bowie said.

“It’s also a pretty easy model for other businesses to pick up to support their fave charities.”

Now she wants to do more and contacted Save the Children this month to explore her options.

Save the Children does Hunter-based work with children at Raymond Terrace and Tomaree, running Play2Learn play groups for parents and their children.

Save the Children regional coordinator for NSW Jane Woolford said community donations such as those raised by Ms Bowie can also play an important role for the charity at a grassroots level in their local area as well as abroad.