Logan Square’s Sip of Hope Offers Caffeine and Comfort

Sip of Hope is breaking the silence surrounding mental health, one cup at a time. The Logan Square cafe donates 100 percent of their proceeds to support mental health education and suicide prevention. General Manager Brian Kmiecik says that creating a safe space for guests to feel comfortable allows them to open up. “We’re breaking the stigma associated with mental health issues and getting people talking about what’s really going on.”

The cafe is owned and operated by Chicago-based nonprofit Hope For The Day (HFTD), which focuses on suicide prevention by providing outreach and mental health education. With one in five adults in America experiencing mental illness every year, HFTD aims to shed light on this crisis by pressing the discussion about stigma and its impact on individuals and communities. Sip of Hope donates all proceeds back to HFTD to help fund their public mental health education, videos, workshops and special events.

The cafe, which just celebrated their fifth anniversary, began with a partnership between HFTD and Dark Matter Coffee, and an idea to brew something bigger. “The draw of coffee is it’s often the first thing people see in the morning. We wanted to put resources in their hands and foster further engagement. Whether holding events within our space or partnering with the public library, having a physical space provides numerous new opportunities to connect with our community,” says Kmiecik.

Supporting others is at the heart of Sip of Hope, and the cafe works with a number of local businesses, artists and other community partners. The coffee is brewed by Passion House in East Garfield Square, pastries are made by West Town Bakery, and an expansive artwork by the prolific Chicago muralist Lauren Asta adorns the back wall. Guests can browse merchandise for sale, including wooden cutouts by You Are Beautiful creator Matthew Hoffman with the message “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay.”

When not brewing coffee, Kmiecik makes himself available to listen to the concerns of guests. “People want resources to be more accessible, and that includes being available on a sliding scale. Therapy can be expensive, and price shouldn’t be a barrier to someone in need. Sip of Hope strives to provide a place where people can feel good about spending their money responsibility, knowing there is a return on investment into the community and they are part of a positive social enterprise,” Kmiecik explains.

Although the baristas are trained in mental health first-aid and identifying someone in crisis, they welcome guests with all backgrounds and stories. “We have a wide spectrum of conversations with people in the cafe. In some cases, it is folks in crisis, but it’s also people who have been having a rough few weeks. We talk with guests who are stressed about work, relationships or the gloomy weather. Maybe they’ve been in therapy, but lost their insurance and need to find a new provider. We meet people where they’re at and empower them to be proactive in their own mental health. Mostly, we offer a safe space for them to feel accepted,” states Kmiecik.

Sip of Hope cafe is located at 3039 W. Fullerton, in Chicago. For more information, visit SipOfHope.com.

Carrie Jackson is an Evanston-based writer and frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine. Connect at CarrieJacksonWrites.com.