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News  |  Posted 17 June 2024

Social Bite customers know how to pay it forward!

Social Bite customers have been paying it forward for more than a decade – and it all began with coffee.

What does it mean to ‘pay it forward’?

When someone does something nice for you, instead of returning the favour you pass the kindness on to another person. But sometimes, you have to be the one to start that chain of kindness.

At Social Bite coffee shops, paying it forward means that as well as buying your own hot drink, sandwich or cake, you make a donation for someone else to enjoy a meal at one of our free food services. These small acts of kindness help to provide breakfast and evening meals in Social Bite coffee shops, Monday-Friday, all year round, free to anyone who needs it.

For guests at free food services, ‘pay it forward’ is much more than a meal. It’s an opportunity to connect with friends, peers and support services in a warm and inviting space. It builds routines, confidence and relationships.

“Paying it forward is a huge help with Social Bite’s work,” explains Development and Support Worker Euan. “The food and drink are an engagement tool, and people might not know about the wider services and support we offer otherwise.”

 

A short history of paying it forward at Social Bite

Shortly after we opened our first shop on Edinburgh’s Rose St, Social Bite launched the idea of ‘lunch break philanthropy’ with a ‘suspended coffee’ scheme. Customers were invited to pay for a coffee they wouldn’t drink, so that it could be claimed later by someone experiencing homelessness. A fairly unusual concept back in 2013, but one that’s “simple and easy to do,” explained Social Bite founder Josh Littlejohn. “And maybe that’s why it’s got so much potential for positive change.”

Josh was right. Originally, tokens represented customers’ pay it forward donations. Someone who wanted to claim a free coffee or sandwich could take a token from a jar on the shop counter and ‘pay’ with it. But a year later, when Social Bite first partnered with itison to ask Scotland to ‘buy someone a Christmas meal,’ pay it forward really took off. The token jar would have overflowed a hundred times over!

Social Bite supporters demonstrated that they really love to pay it forward, so we swapped the token jar for a spreadsheet. You can still leave a note and well wishes for the person who claims your donation.

 

How do I pay it forward?

The generosity of customers who pay it forward year-round ensures Social Bite can fund free food for thousands of people experiencing homelessness or food poverty across the UK every year.

At every one of our Social Bite coffee shops you can pay it forward. £2 could buy a coffee and £5 can pay for a hot evening meal. You can also pay it forward online, making a donation that we’ll put towards free food services in our coffee shops.