The concept of Cafe Care Consults came to me while enjoying a bite to eat at the The Common Cafe in Norwood Center one Saturday. I loved the accessibility of the street-side cafe and the informal meeting space as a template for a free social-good program that could offer spiritual care, self-care skill-training & coaching, support, and resource referrals over an 8-week time period.
This program which I also refer to as Spiritual Care at Street Level, is accessible to all, but is particularly intended to better meet the people who describe themselves as feeling the financial pinch at home related to effects of long-term illness on the family finances and the local/national economy. The 15-minute Cafe Care Consults are free, offered at local cafes with street-level access, and offer a listening ear, practical practice with stress-management and self-care, and help with long-term care questions and referrals.
We offered our presence and practical help at the Good Day Cafe at 19 High Street, N. Andover, MA on eight Thursday afternoons and at The Common Cafe in Norwood on two Saturday afternoons, in February and March. We listened to people affected by long-term illness in their lives and the lives of family members. I facilitated and taught 10-minute guided relaxation breaks that benefitted body, mind and spirit in the moment with lasting effects for the day and potentially days. We referred people to local support resources.
This pilot program will be repeated. Future dates TBD.
Moving forward with a listening heart,
vision, inquiry, and action,
~ Mary