More than 2,700 people shared a coffee and a conversation this R U OK?Day, as part of LifeGrain Cafe’s campaign encouraging hospital staff, patients and visitors to check in on one another.
Running across all LifeGrain Cafe sites, the buy one, give one initiative offered customers a second coffee free with every coffee purchased, to share with a friend, colleague or family member. A total of 1,351 free coffees were given away.
Jenny Abellera, Manager at LifeGrain Cafe Sutherland, said the campaign reflected the role hospital cafes play in the daily lives of healthcare workers, patients and visitors.
“Hospital days are demanding, and ‘are you OK?’ is often the question that goes unasked. A coffee is a simple way to start that conversation,” Ms Abellera said.
“Throughout the day we saw colleagues buying for colleagues and families buying for each other. It was a reminder of how much this community looks out for one another.”
Imee Thomas, Manager at LifeGrain Cafe Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, said checking in is already part of how her team looks after customers.
“We see the same faces every day, from staff coming off a night shift to families visiting loved ones. We get to know their orders, and we get to know them,” Ms Thomas said.
“When someone seems a little quieter than usual, we notice. Sometimes a warm hello and a familiar coffee is the first sign that someone cares.”
R U OK?Day is a national day of action held each September, reminding Australians that any day is the day to ask someone how they are really going.
For us, that message holds true all year round.
In a hospital, a cafe is more than somewhere to buy a coffee.
It is where colleagues debrief after a difficult shift, where families gather after hard news, and where a familiar face behind the counter can make a long day a little lighter.
Our teams take that role seriously.
We will continue to be a place where hospital communities can grab a coffee and a bite to eat, and check in on each other, not just on R U OK?Day, but every day of the year.
If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. In an emergency, call 000. For guidance on how to ask “are you OK?”, visit ruok.org.au.
About LifeGrain Cafe
LifeGrain Cafe is The LG Group’s essential hospital cafe, providing fast, familiar and reliable food and coffee for hospital staff, patients, visitors and families.