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Midland: customers pay coffees forward to surprise nurses

Lynn GriersonHills Avon Valley Gazette

COFFEE van owner Kate Kendrick and her customers ‘paid it forward’ to surprise nurses with free coffees in Midland on Wednesday morning

The idea began in September after Mrs Kendrick became concerned about one of her regular customers in Mundaring.

“One of our earliest customers of the day is a chap we call Joe; he always orders a latte,” she said.

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“We soon noticed his shoes were worn through and that he kept his possessions zipped into his jacket.”

Joe always tried to pay for his coffee, even though Mrs Kendrick liked to give him a free one every now and again.

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“When Brad, one of our awesome customers, asked about Joe’s plight, we told him the story of Joe’s cold nights sleeping in the carpark and our efforts to warm him up a little,” she said.

“Brad immediately asked if he could buy a cup for Joe too and so began Mopoke’s pay it forward agreement.”

Customers began donating their completed loyalty cards to Mopoke to pay it forward and other customers paid for extra coffees.

Mrs Kendrick found she had more than 60 free coffees to give away this week.

With her customers’ permission, she opted to give the free coffees to nurses at St John of God Midland Public Hospital.

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She parked her van outside the hospital’s emergency department and several of her customers acted as runners to deliver 80 coffees in 60 minutes to the nurses.

“I think it’s really cool people are so kind and willingly donated over 100 coffees in our three months of operation,” she said.

“The delighted nursing staff had a little trouble grasping the fact so many people cared enough to buy them a coffee.”

The little coffee van is a regular sight at Mt Helena twilight markets, Little Athletics at Mundaring Recreation Ground and Shire of Mundaring events.

Mrs Kendrick is a former professional athlete and operates her coffee van in between training young athletes in Mundaring.