After two years of absence brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, an NGO that delivers free coffee and sandwiches to people waiting outside Mater Dei Hospital’s intensive treatment unit has resumed its work.

“We cannot make it OK. We cannot promise a happy ending to people waiting to hear the good or bad news outside ITU. But we can brighten someone’s day with a simple act of kindness,” said Sarah Cachia who, together with her husband,  Sammy and their children, Jacob and Chloe, started the coffee run initiative back in 2018.

Some of the 'tokens of kindness' found in each package.

Coronavirus forced the Cachias to put the initiative on hold.  Instead, they used the two years to raise funds for a van which they are now using to take the free coffee and sandwiches beyond Mater Dei Hospital’s intensive care unit.

As from this week, they will be using their van to support others in areas such as the NPICU (neonatal paediatric intensive care unit), Mount Carmel Hospital, drug rehabilitation centres and shelters for survivors of domestic violence. They will be delivering the free sandwiches and coffee to these places once a week, on a rotation basis.

And, with each package, they are giving “tokens of kindness” – handmade tokens with messages of encouragement made by people who attend active ageing and community care day centres.

Why are they doing it? Because they know first-hand how tough it can be to sit and wait for news in the hospital’s waiting area.

Sammy Cachia delivering free sandwiches and coffee to Charge Nurse Annabelle Abela at the ITU on Sunday. Photo: Facebook.com

Nine years ago, the Cachia family was gathered anxiously at the intensive care unit waiting to see if 15-year-old Jacob would survive brain surgery.

Jacob was diagnosed with sinusitis but when bacteria entered his brain, he had to undergo several operations which included removing part of the skull and inserting a titanium plate.

He was left hemiplegic, with partial paralysis on the left side of his body, but his survival and recovery has inspired the family to help others dealing with their own trauma.

Their initiatives included the setting up of the NGO Survivors Malta and the publication of the book Jacob – My Titanium Man, whose royalties kickstarted the dream of opening a coffee shop in Marsascala – Jacob’s Brew Café – Pay It Forward.

The coffee shop follows the pay-it-forward concept – the idea that the person who benefits from a good deed repays the kindness not to the benefactor but to others. In this case, the profits from the coffee shop are fed into Survivors Malta.