To ask if you would please consider asking your favorite coffee shop to let you buy a suspended coffee?

[DrSeuss]

www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/suspended-coffee-what-a-wonderful-idea-8553747.html
I just asked my local place via their FB page to do this and am awaiting their response.

Dh and I already give our McDonalds coffee card things to people we see who look like they could use it but that goes depend on collecting enough stickers and we don't go that often. It would be nice to be able to buy them.

That idea puts me off using Starfucks even more and I didn't think that was possible tbh.

Call me a bit short sighted - you can buy a coffee/sandwich etc and hand it directly to the homeless person?

I suppose it's a generous idea. But it would be a bit rich to donate a coffee in somewhere like Starbucks given their controversial corporate tax arrangements. I might do it in a local independent shop but not a chain. But I agree it would be better to donate to shelter or a soup kitchen or food bank.

You can Holly, but as I mentioned its often the hour off the street, in the warmth in a comfy chair that's what really makes a difference. It's something even those of us who have plenty enjoy in one form or another and it can really make someone who is struggling feel better for a bit.

I can well imagine that they'd likely make it takeaway only, tbh.

and perhaps only record one in two or three, pocketing the others.

I may be cynical, but it's an awful lot to take on trust.

And piss takers going in thinking it's funny to score a freebie.

And people refused for not looking homeless! Imagine the stereotype you'd need to conform to?

I think it would be better to fund more drop in centres. Hell, sessions at the library where you can get a warm up and a coffee! anything.

I love the idea - snacks/sandwiches too. Wonder if Starbucks would do it for some good UK PR?

But why do you need to involve Starbucks or a local place? Why not just do it yourself?

Because not everybody knows where the homeless hang out scottish and not everyone has time to go looking for them.

People who work in London for example, might pop in for coffees on way to work or a meeting and can pay for a drink/food for someone without wandering around looking for someone 'worthy'

I love the idea.

You are all a lot of hard hearted cynics. Most people are nice and honest. The vast majority of coffee shop staff would not pocket the money, and the vast majority of people are only going to ask if they need it.

Homeless people are not animals, they are perfectly capable of sitting in a cafe and using the facilities without being minging.

I guess it just needs a certain critical mass to work, so that people in need can be fairly certain they would be able to get something if they ask.

The coffee shop could provide vouchers to the hostels or homeless charities to give to people they know to be in need - though for the same money much more could be provided than probably not the most nutritious sandwich and coffee from a posh coffee shop.

Since when do you have to search high and low for a homeless person in London?

If homeless people are not immediately in sight, then are they likely to come into the shop and beg for something to eat/drink?

Why do you need all these voucher ideas?

What is wrong with the scheme as is? People do a nice thing for another person, they are going to coffee shop anyway so buy another coffee. It is something people will engage with.

People are more likely to do this than give money to charity.

I worked as a manager of an independant coffee shop in the midlands. We did this unofficially. A homeless man would come and swap his £1 coins for notes as we needed the change and most people paid change for his Big Issue. quite often regular customers would ask to pay for a drink or sandwich for him and we always obliged. However, in another of our shops a guy came in often and asked customers for money, which wasnt great and consequently we didn't have such a good relationship with him.

I'm not sure that many coffee shops round here would want to be encouraging homeless people with their often social and emotional bagage into their establishments.

A frightening number of homeless people have special needs, mental health issues, illiteracy, drug and alchohol problems, and linked are often hygiene and health issues.

I was absolutely shocked when a VERY elderly man in extremely shabby clothes who didn't smell so good was absolutely ignored on the tube. He was struggling to stand and gripping hard on the pole. People averted their eyes. I was so shocked I shouted at the whole carriage 'Is nobody going to get up for this gentleman?' and the poor man looked so humiliated I doubt I would do it again.

I think there is much more that needs to be done than the feel-good factor or purchasing a coffee for someone you don't have to look at or talk to or vote for improved services for.

I agree with Starlight.

This isnt about changing the world starlight its about doing a SMALL thing for someone in need. People who dont want to give money to beggars can buy a drink or meal without having to interact. For some types of people that is all they want/can do on a day to day level.

scottish they arent everywhere you know? And they tend to be in high footstep areas, so they can get more money or are nearer a shelter. And not everyone 'sees' them. So if someone is in a coffee shop and knows that shop does a suspended service then chances are they will buy a drink/meal which is better than nothing, especially in this weather.

DS gave a load of my Mc D coffee cards (the ones you peel off the cup and put the stickers on) to a homeless man.

They have a good few months of 'use-by' date.

If you'd like to buy a suspended coffee here is a list of UK Participants:
www.facebook.com/SuspendedCoffeeUk/notes

I wouldn't participate in this, mainly because coffee in coffee shops, even the independent ones, are overpriced.

What would pay for a medium latte in costa or Starbucks or Pret could buy a sandwich and a coffee in a little greasy spoon type cafe. Or it could pay for a copy of the Big Issue. It's a waste of money.

And how will they determine who can't afford it and is deserving of a suspended coffee anyway? That's a lot of pressure to put on low paid coffee shop workers, I'm not sure I'd want that responsibility for minimum wage. Do you have to look particularly scruffy and unkempt to qualify?

There are days when I genuinely can't afford a coffee because its been a tight month and there's a couple of days left till pay day, should I qualify for one simply because I can't afford it that day? No, but if the criteria is simply that you can't afford it, maybe I should qualify?

I wouldn't do it, I'd rather give to a charity which offers support.

I don't believe cafes are happy to have lots of homeless people sitting around. There's no way if checking if someone is homeless. There's no mechanism for making sure companies don't just pocket the money.

If it does catch on, I hope it very quickly moves on to more useful things like warm food.

"What would pay for a medium latte in costa or Starbucks or Pret could buy a sandwich and a coffee in a little greasy spoon type cafe"

Exactly. Suspended Coffees in the expensive UK coffee bars are imo just middle class slacktivism.

Going to sound awful.but it would put me off going in a cafe myself if homeless people were likely to come in and sit close by. I think donating to Shelter is a better idea.

Our local does this www.commongrounds.co.uk/

Prior to having suspended coffee it had a board up that you could buy coffee etc for friends to enjoy later.

I don't know if they have 'criteria' for suspended coffee but as they have huge links with the local community and NGO's I imagine many of them would already be familiar with some of the local folk finding things tough.

They also have a Christmas dinner (on the day itself) and it is open to homeless, living alone, elderly, sp, immigrants, foreign students etc - basically anyone who might have been spending Christmas alone or with very little.

I am an atheist and detest many aspects of organised religion however the act of taking care of your fellow man and woman is a wonderful thing.

For anyone rightly pointing out the cost of coffee etc, yes that may be a concern, however recall the thread about biscuits at food banks? Sometimes having a 'treat' that you would never have otherwise is a tiny but significant boost.

Like when you buy a friend a present of something seemingly frivolous because a) you know they will enjoy it and b) it's not something they would likely buy themselves due to the cost or needing to spend the money on something more important.