Kopi Chat is a ‘members only’ sharing on every Friday at 12.30pm with different themes specially curated as talking points to share experiences and fresh ideas. The first KPC session was held on 2nd of July 2021. It was the first time Care Leaders initiated a sharing session with members of this nature and scale. We were both excited and nervous to venture into unchartered waters with varying participants of different languages and backgrounds.
The purpose of Kopi Chat is to add another dimension to the Care Leader’s interaction with 365CPS members. We strive to create a community of care (Kampong Spirit) and support so that we connect minds and hearts through collective sharing of life experiences, like making a blanket for each other to keep one another warm and protected.
In 2021, a total of 23 sessions were conducted successfully. It has been a heart-warming and rewarding journey, making new friends and learning new knowledge. We get to know each other better through this online platform as it opens up more conversation topics.
What separates Kopi Chat from others is, we are member-driven and have the interests of the members at the heart of what we do. The themes of the chats are evolved around our daily lives, humanistic and unlike the regular expert speaker sessions, where there is only dissemination of information with no space to share ideas in voice.
Kopi Chat is an informal sharing where participants make new connections, reinforce existing knowledge and gain new ideas from fellow participants. We are all fellow human beings, experience similar challenges in life over the work, social or home fronts and all aspire to be happy. Therefore, the regular Kopi Chats have grown to be stronger in building ties and fostering knowledge, backed by experiences to help us weather through life’s challenges. Such informal sessions help reinforce stronger will-power and acknowledge we are not alone as at some point in our lives, we will be faced with certain health/ life crisis.
Another benefit of Kopi Chat is also testament through the sharing from new members as they feel encouraged, uplifted and inspired by the sharing in the sessions from other veteran members who has fought and survived cancer. Such sharing gives the new members the much needed hope, strength and determination to endure the treatments they may be facing or the possible impending loss of a loved one or struggling with the pain and loneliness of chemotherapy/ radiotherapy.
Forrest Gump says, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get. It means life is unpredictable. For example, you could have a factory defect with your chocolates and have one or more missing or broken and you would have to deal with it.’
We hope KPC sessions continue to grow organically and inspire more members to join us on this magical journey where we collectively embrace life with its imperfections, trying our best to see the good in all things, be it rain or shine. So, do help us spread the word and invite more friends to join us!
On behalf of the 365CPS Care Leaders team, we would like to wish everyone good health and happiness!
Take care and be well. ?
