“Hey, Hot Chocolate Lady! My mom wants some, too!” the younger sibling of a Le Bonheur patient excitedly hollered as he placed his order with me at the Hot Drinks Beverage Cart.
Four donated hot beverage dispensers and one awesome Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital volunteer is all it took to create the Hot Drinks Beverage Cart. Gordon is the awesome volunteer and mastermind behind it all!
Gordon, the awesome Le Bonheur volunteer and his amazing hot beverage cart!
Tapping into his creative side, carpentry skills and passion for delivering happiness, Gordon constructed wooden structures that, when attached, turn your ordinary office cart into a festive traveling coffee shop that any barista would envy. Today, I had the pleasure of accompanying Gordon on his morning route.
The lights and Gordon’s hand-crafted seasonal decorations that adorn the beverage cart draw the attention of staff, patients and parents of patients as we meander through the hallways of the hospital. The moment we stepped on the 12th floor to begin today’s journey, folks flocked to the cart, either curious about such a sight or delighted the cart had arrived!
Through the patient’s room window that provides visibility into the hallway, a mom saw the wooden “Hot Beverages” sign and rushed to the door. With anxious anticipation, she asked, “Do you have tea? I need a cup of tea.” Of course we have tea! You could see and feel her tension subside. As I handed her a fresh, made to order cup of tea (perfectly prepared, might I add), her husband began reaching for his wallet. We kindly explained everything from the beverage cart was complimentary.
Whether new, longer term or returning parents of children admitted to the hospital, they all had the same exhausted, haggard, worried look. After knocking and getting the okay to enter a patient’s room, we introduced ourselves and asked the residents if they would like a hot beverage: coffee, tea, apple cider or the Le Bonheur Special: hot chocolate made with coffee instead of water, with or without marshmallows.
It didn’t take me long to realize this isn’t just a traveling coffee stand delivering hot beverages. This is genuine, thoughtful compassion in action. Just as the gesture of a warm beverage brings brief relief to the parent of a sick child, it also comforts the doctors and nurses who care for these precious patients and families.
If you happen to be at Le Bonheur, keep an eye out for the Hot Beverage Cart passing through the halls. Be sure to try the Le Bonheur Special with marshmallows, and please tell Gordon that the “Hot Chocolate Lady” says hi!
The Volunteer Services Office at Le Bonheur is awesome! If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity, please be sure to check out their website http://www.lebonheur.org/ways-to-help.