A central west café has given away an extraordinary 6,000 cups of coffee since it started a random-act-of-kindness (RAOK), pay-it-forward initiative in 2020.  

In the process, Café 2823 in the township of Trangie has started – and continued – an important conversation about mental health and looking out for others that has spread well beyond the town. 

The Cups of Kindness initiative started after the tragic passing of a 17-year-old young man, Timothy Owen Dalton, or Timmy as he was known, in April 2020. On the day of his funeral, his family asked others to carry out a RAOK so people understood there was still good in the world.  

The young man had no personal connection with Café 2823, but a local resident, Kate Kennedy, knew Timmy’s mother and donated $50 to shout coffees at the café. 

That simple RAOK during the pandemic gained support locally and was supported by passing travellers and truckdrivers, gaining momentum over time. The Cups of Kindness initiative was on its way to greatness. Over 6,000 pay-it-forward “kindness” coffees have since been given away in the family-run café, where the recipients of the donated drinks are chosen at random. Customers pay for an extra cup of coffee which is then donated randomly to someone else. 

“[Cups of Kindness has] put so many smiles on faces, brightened people’s days and just knowing that someone has the pure generosity to pay for another’s cup of coffee, as small of a gesture it may be, you have no idea how much it can change an outlook on possibly a miserable day for a person,” the café team wrote on social media last year.  

PHOTO: A board in the café keeps locals and visitors updated on the RAOK coffee count. 

“Thank you to everyone that has added to the Cups of Kindness at Café 2823. The smallest things can also be the biggest for another.” 

Café proprietor Julie Berry, her family and staff are very proud of their pay-it-forward kindness juggernaut, which an early coffee donor from 2020 described as distributing “hugs in a mug.” 

“It’s so good to see that people are continuing to support the Cups of Kindness. Timmy’s mother is so grateful for everything we’re doing here,” Ms Berry told the Western Plains App. The team has yet to meet Timmy's mother, Bronwyn Courts, in person, but the bond between them is strong and continues to grow. 

PHOTO: From a supporter: "Pay it forward. Hug in a Mug, love Julie and Martin, Roseville NSW 2069." From Café 2823 Facebook page. 

The café’s tight-knit team members are so committed to supporting mental health, they will head to Sydney to compete in the iconic City2Surf fun run on August 13, using the event to raise funds for the Black Dog Institute. They announced their intention to participate in the event earlier this year and have been preparing for the 14-kilometre trek from Sydney’s Hyde Park to Bondi Beach, taking donations in support of their cause.  

The Western Plains App has no doubt the team will do well, just as their Cups of Kindness initiative continues to do well.  

“When people hear our story, they want to support it, so it keeps going,” Ms Berry said