For two years the Burnett Heads Community Coffee group has been welcoming new residents to the region and connecting them with the community through coffee.
Every week the aptly called Burnett Heads Community Coffee group invites new residents to connect with current residents while enjoying coffee at Baltimore's Restaurant.
The group started two years ago, and founder Geraldine Marino said the group began when she moved to the area and had difficulty making friends.
“I bought a house here in Burnett Heads and we were renovating it and I wasn’t working at the time and found it hard meeting new people, so I put up a message on the Facebook page to see if anyone would like a coffee,” she said.
“I expected there’d be a few people who were interested as a lot of new people have moved to the area, but I didn’t know it would continue on for two years.
“It’s been a really good thing for a lot of people.”
Geraldine said that since starting the group she has personally made many new friends and connections and that for many the connection was even more important during COVID restrictions.
“During the COVID restrictions we had a few virtual coffees and outdoor coffees where we bought takeaway coffee and did the social distancing,” she said.
“We’ve all met lots of people through it and become more of a community-based group really.
“Some ladies might have husbands who work in the mines and haven’t seen them for some time, so it’s important to have that connection and ability to meet new people in a welcoming environment.”
Tracie Regan joined the group after it started in 2018 and said it was a great community asset, not only supporting new residents but also local businesses.
“We have coffee every Thursday at Baltimore's and some weeks we’ll get a lot of women and sometimes only a couple,” she said.
“It’s a nice way for the locals to connect, particularly during COVID as people can be feeling very alone, and being away from family this is one way that we can increase that connectiveness, as there are a lot of new people out at Burnett Heads.”
For those interested in joining, Geraldine said they could either contact her on 0487 055 948, join the Burnett heads Facebook page or just come along on the day.
“There’s no obligation to attend but there’s always someone here at 10am and if anyone is interested they can also call me on 0487 055 948 as I'm always happy to chat,” Geraldine said.
“Anyone new to the area is always welcome and it's a good way of meeting and making new friends.”
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