The Wheel of Kindness – paying it forward

Paying it forward – our wheel of kindness and what it means.

We’re so pleased that our ‘Wheel on Kindness’ is now in regular use. Folks dropping in are either paying forward a hot drink or soup for somebody else, or picking up a peg from the wheel to use a ‘payment’ for a drink or lunch.

There’s something beautifully normal about sitting in a cafe having a hot drink or a bowl of homemade soup. One of the things that is difficult for people in crisis – be they vulnerably housed, homeless or in financial difficulty – is the loss of so much that we take for granted. That feeling of being part of the day-to-day life of a community, and not an outsider.

We believe that our space is for everyone, which is why at The Art House you can ‘pay forward’ a hot drink or soup for anyone who can’t afford to pay. The ‘wheel’ enables anyone who needs it to place an order just like any other customer, and the service and welcome is exactly the same, regardless.

This is what mutual aid looks like – generous, warm, open-hearted. We like to think the whole world could look like this.

Thank you so much to each and every person who pays forward drinks, support us as a regular donor or just comes in and buys a cuppa.

These small acts of kindness and connection can mean the world to somebody who is having an awful time.

About janifranck

Artist, activist, founding director of The Art House in Southampton.
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