It is world suicide prevention day and we want to normalize the conversation about mental health. And what better way to talk about how than over a cup of coffee? Let us introduce you to Sip of Hope, the world’s first coffee shop where 100% of proceeds support proactive suicide prevention and mental health education. Sip of Hope wants to stop the silence and start the conversation about mental health before it adversely affects peoples lives.

Jonny Boucher founded this incredible organization after having lost friends to suicide. He later brought in co-founder/ friend Carl Evans, who’d tried to commit suicide when he was 12 and again at 13 years old, to form the non-profit organization. The Chicago coffee shop launched in the spring of 2018 and has already become a community beacon.

The volunteers and baristas are certified in mental health and first aid. The coffee shop decor has messaging that encourages people to talk so they get the help and support they need – because the worse thing a person can do is believe they can manage it alone and self correct.

This means people can drop in for a sweet treat, a cup of coffee and have a conversation. And 100% of the proceeds go to Hope For The Day, a charity founded six years ago that works explicitly to prevent suicide.