A pretty special collaboration was set up for this month with the incredible I AM HOPE Coffee.

While you may not be familiar with I AM HOPE Coffee yet, some of you may have heard about I AM HOPE NZ, the youth and community focused support group which is run by The Key to Life Charitable Trust???

No?? How about Gumboot Friday???

Ok, how about top bloke and inspiring Kiwi, Mike King, who started it all??

Well, The Key to Life Charitable Trust has been hard at work for the last three years tackling our very kiwi ‘she’ll be right’ and ‘rub some dirt on it’ attitudes and approach to dealing with mental health, by promoting positive attitudinal and societal changes through school and community channels all across NZ. Gumboot Friday is a day dedicated to raising money to help I AM HOPE fund private, specialised care and essential counselling services to young people, who in their words are ‘stuck in the mud’ on waiting lists.

I AM HOPE Coffee is an incredible, recently launched extension of this initiative, which was started up by the Coffee Educators and its founder Claire. Claire is an incredibly inspiring women who On the Grind has been so lucky to work with in the past. During our previous collab we helped celebrate NZ Sign Language week and drew some attention to the amazing work that the Coffee Educators were (and are still) doing, supporting cafes to provide more inclusive environments, and training individuals living with a disability to prepare and support them into employment in the hospitality industry.

You can read more about our previous collab with Able Coffee, The Coffee Educators, and the Lucy Foundation HERE.

If this didn’t already convince you of how amazing Claire and the team at the Coffee Educators are, then this will! Claire has experienced a personal challenges with mental health, all while running her epic business and giving so much to help others. She openly shares her story on the I AM HOPE Coffee website which you can read HERE. This experience and the suffering that many New Zealanders, especially young people, experience was what drove Claire to establish what is now I AM HOPE Coffee. Claire believes that; 

“many great conversations start with a great cup of coffee and that simple cup can be the catalyst for social change. It can change lives through shared experiences and connection. Some of these conversations could be the beginning of someone getting the help and care they need”

And so, she is passionate about their coffee having as much positive impact as possible, which is why $5.00 from every 1kg of I AM HOPE coffee is donated on behalf of the consumer to I AM HOPE NZ - supporting the continuation of their great work in removing the stigma of mental health and supporting people to get access to the resources they need.

The topic of mental health is something that hits quite close to home for so many people and as one of the directors for On the Grind (Hi, I’m Sarah) it is very personal to me too. I have suffered, and in the spirit of acknowledging mental health awareness week (21^st-27^th Sept), I currently suffer from depression and anxiety. It’s something I, like many others are working through during this difficult year of 2020.

My family and close friends have all felt the heartbreak that the worst can bring when it comes to mental health and I urge anyone suffering to reach out and check out any of the resources linked below.

This month On the Grind is donating a portion of profits to I AM HOPE NZ, as directors we are matching this dollar for dollar AND as mentioned above, $5.00 for every 1kg of coffee we order through this month’s collaboration will be donated by I AM HOPE Coffee on behalf of all our amazing customers!

We’re all in this together, Kia kaha!

Where to get help:

If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call 111.

If you need to talk to someone, the following free helplines operate 24/7:

DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757

LIFELINE: 0800 543 354

NEED TO TALK? Call or text 1737

SAMARITANS: 0800 726 666

YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 or text 234

ASIAN HELPLINE: 0800 862 342 (they have language-appropriate support).

OUTLine NZ– 0800 688 5463 (OUTLINE) provides confidential telephone support, available evenings from 6pm–9pm.

Online Chat Support with Rainbow Youth -  is available for anyone aged 13-27 who is looking for guidance, support, or advice around sexuality, gender identity, and intersex status. 2-4pm Monday - Friday, anonymously & confidentially

Helpful Resources:

• I AM HOPE Website - For funding, access to counselling services and other resources
• Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand

If you have the means and would like to make a donation in support of improving mental health in NZ, consider donating to I AM HOPE NZ. Find out how HERE.