Resilient Ararat has joined forces with two local cafes to spread caffeine and kindness throughout the community.
Paying it Forward – Kindness in a Cup was launched early this month, providing customers at Fred and Bet’s and Forager’s cafes with the opportunity to pre-purchase a hot drink for someone who could use a little extra happiness in their day.
As part of the ongoing initiative, Resilient Ararat has supplied both cafes with Kindness in a Cup cards which can be bought for the price of a coffee or hot chocolate. The cards will be kept safe by café staff who will randomly selected customers to surprise with a free hot drink throughout the day.
Central Grampians LLEN Executive Officer and Resilient Ararat representative, Jane Moriarty said that while pay it forward coffees were not a new phenomenon, Kindness in a Cup provided people with an easy way to practice generosity and compassion.
“We’ve all heard stories about customers paying for the coffee of the person behind them in a café queue, but Resilient Ararat wanted to create a way for the whole community to come together and experience the impacts that random acts of kindness can have,” Ms Moriarty said.
“Kindness improves our mental health by promoting feelings of happiness and helps build support systems that boost our resilience in challenging times. Receiving, giving, or even witnessing acts of kindness can lift our mood.
“When you purchase a Kindness in a Cup card, you may never meet the recipient, but you will get joy from knowing your generosity brought a smile to someone else’s face.”
Ms Moriarty said Resilient Ararat was expecting the Kindness in a Cup initiative to be embraced by the community, much like its first ever-campaign four years ago.
“Most people will remember Bean Resilient which we launched in the height of Covid back in 2020. That campaign also centred around local cafes and helped to promote the importance of looking after your mental health and wellbeing, Ms Moriarty said.
“The Ararat community really got behind our initial campaign and we were overwhelmed by the number of people who participated. Out Kindness in a Cup initiative is a much simpler concept, but we are expecting it to have just as big an impact.”
Kindness in a Cup cards are available from Fred and Bet’s or Forager’s cafes during trading hours. Customers card can write their name on the card or choose to remain anonymous.
Cafes in Ararat Rural City still have time get involved in the initiative. Business owners can contact Jane at Central Grampians LLEN on 5352 3266 or respond to their original expression of interest letter if they wish to participate.
For further information please contact:
Jessie Newton on 03 5352 3266 or email media@cgllen.org.au.
PHOTO: Kirsty Skubnik and Hannah Smith help launch Resilient Ararat’s Kindness in a Cup initiative at Fred and Bet’s Café.