Willow Bean Café opens: brewing confidence with every cup
Caer Weber says she still has tough days, but the people and the work at Willow Bean Café are making her life better.
A year is a long time without steady work. But since Caer Weber became a barista at Willow Bean Café, she’s enjoyed the routine of serving her regulars a good cup of joe.
“It can be tough having a regular job sometimes,” says Caer, who’s living with post-traumatic stress and depression. “But working at Willow Bean has changed that.”
On Wednesday, March 27, B.C. Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid visited VGH to officially open Willow Bean Café’s doors to VCH staff, patients, clients, visitors and anyone else in the neighbourhood seeking a good cup of coffee.
Located in Willow Pavilion, the cafe employs people recovering from a range of mental illnesses, and provides Caer and her co-workers the opportunity to build confidence while learning employable skills.
Brewing relationships
The coffee shop is the result of a partnership involving VCH, the Canadian Mental Health Association and Sodexo, an integrated food and facilities services company; the Vancouver Foundation is also contributing funding. The café empowers and trains mental health consumers in a supportive, stigma-free environment leading to more employment opportunities, potentially with Sodexo.
“It shows me that I’m still competent and a part of society – I love interacting with the customers,” says Caer, sounding very upbeat. “It shows that even if you have a mental illness, you can still function and be normal.”
Jarrod Surrette, manager of the café and an employee of Sodexo, has seen a number of changes in both his staff and himself.
B.C. Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid enjoyed a cup of fresh-brewed coffee at Willow Bean Café’s grand opening celebration.
“When the staff first arrived, they were so pulled in,” Jarrod explains, crossing his arms over his chest for emphasis. “Now I hear about their families and their cats and dogs. Yesterday, we were talking about mental illness and today we were talking about hockey.”
“It’s a huge compliment to me when they open up,” he adds later. “At first I thought it would be hard and now it’s just incredible.”
Creating a community
In many ways, the café is how a true coffee shop should be: warm, welcoming and open.
“It helps our clients at Willow Pavilion” says Chris Flynn, patient services manager, tertiary mental health. “It demonstrates hope to our clients to be able to see folks employed and experiencing what most people do in life, and in spite of having had difficulties with their own mental health. The café has become a central meeting place in Willow Pavilion where people are getting to know one another over a cup of coffee – the activity around the café has increased a great deal in the past few months.”
Creating growth
“I find that I’m growing and learning too,” Jarrod says. “I find that with our staff, with how they challenge themselves to succeed, it’s inspirational and I want to push myself.”
“When, I’m around my staff, I feel like I can achieve anything.”
Caer says that while she still has tough days, the people and the work at Willow Bean Café are making her life better.
“I love making the cappuccinos and lattes, the ones with steamed milk,” she says. “But I can’t do the designs…yet.”
“That’s a whole different level,” she adds with a laugh.