As part of my commitment to 13 goals in 2013, I have been doing random acts of kindness inspired by the awful tragedy at the school in Sandy Hook, CT.  I have given out $5 gift cards to Target, Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to random people in the hopes that they pay it forward and spread the good deed and feelings to others.  Call me kumbaya all you want but I like trying to make the world a better place in whatever small ways that I can.

Based on a tradition started in Italy, there is a similar movement taking place in coffee houses called Suspended Coffees that allows you to pay for a future coffee for someone else who may not be able to afford one.  This is a video about the concept:

Suspended Coffee from Mummu on Vimeo.

The concept has spread through Europe (even Starbucks in the UK participates) but has not become widespread in the US per this article from the New York Times written in April 2013.  I like the idea of paying a nice gesture forward (as I’ve been doing myself) but can’t help but wonder if those really in need have coffee as a first priority (or even realize that these programs exist).

In Los Angeles there is a large homeless population but in my small city, homelessness is invisible.  In New York, homelessness is visible on every corner.  Wild Boy grew up giving our local homeless man money or food every time we saw him.  My child has grown up knowing that we aren’t monetarily wealthy but that we are rich because we are healthy, happy and enjoy many creature comforts.

It has been a priority to teach Wild Boy that it is important to share what we can when we can.  The first yard sale we ever had, it was Wild Boy’s idea to give half of his earnings to a local animal shelter and it made me proud to see that the spirit of giving was taking hold at a young age.  A friend started a tradition at a birthday party last year by asking attendees to send donations to a designated charity in lieu of gifts and we’ve done the same for the last 2 birthday celebrations.  While we all joke at the idea of having #firstworldproblems, we are lucky to have them.

My heart loves the idea of Suspended Coffees and a viral spread of the concept in the US would be a fantastic step in a direction toward creating an environment of hope and “spreading the love”.  It isn’t providing basic needs like food, clothing or shelter to help those really in need but it’s a start.

Do you know any places that participate in the Suspended Coffees effort?  Do you know of something else like it near you?