Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 137 is launching a new program in February aimed at getting veterans out of the house and meeting with peers to chat over a cup of java.
Known as Buddy Check Coffee, the first session will be held Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. at the Napanee Legion, located at 26 Mill St. E. Open to all members of the military, past or present, the event encourages veterans to network with peers and share stories and experiences.
“It is really a comfortable way to meet new folks with all that common interest being either still in the military or retired military,” said Chris Ingersoll, a member of the Napanee Legion who is organizing the local event. “It’s really a good way to get connected again. That’s what I hope to be able to bring to Napanee.”
Ingersoll says he attended a Buddy Check Coffee event in Kingston’s Lake Ontario Park in the summer of 2020. Since then he has wanted to launch a local chapter of the program and felt now the time was right. Buddy Check Coffee is peer run in Legions across Canada led by the Legion’s Operational Stress Injury Special Section (Legion OSI), which provides training for the event organizers.
“This is our first foray into it in February and I hope to be able do it every other month just to see how it works out and see how many come out,” said Ingersoll.
Free coffee, tea, juice and some snacks will be on hand to help create a relaxing environment.
Part of the goal of the program is to combat a concerning trend among members of the Canadian military. According to Statistics Canada, nearly a quarter of military personnel report living alone, which is about 10 per cent higher than those with no ties to the military. Buddy Check Coffee provides a chance to get out to meet new people and talk about experiences that only a select few can really understand having gone through it themselves.
Ingersoll says along with providing a place to chat, the meetings will also be an opportunity to pass on some contacts to local support agencies for anyone who would be interested.
“It’s all really good to have that ready to help out anybody that needs it,” said Ingersoll. “Sometimes there’s not a lot that comes out but at least it’s a chance to get out and meet people and maybe the next time around it might be easier on some guys and gals.”
In some cases, just knowing there are people out there willing to listen can make a huge difference.
“There’s more and more assistance out there,” said Ingersoll. “We just have to make sure we tell people about it.”
To get an idea of the number of people who will attend the first meeting participants are asked to call the Legion office at 613-354-5275 by Jan. 28 to register.