As a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, I, Cpl Michael Buckley, am always looking for opportunities to be more involved in the community, be it through donations or volunteer time. Recently, I had the chance to do both through a local event called Coffee with a Soldier. On 8 November 2022, members from 77 Line Regiment, 1 Line Squadron at CFB Kingston volunteered their time at the Rose Abby Starbucks to help raise funds through the NDWCC.
With the recent launch of the Starbucks Armed Forces Partner Network, stores across the country have been looking for more ways to be involved in the military community. My fiancée Kendal Sullivan, a shift supervisor at the Rose Abby Starbucks, was brainstorming ideas with the store manager Lindsay Soper on how to connect with the base, and Coffee with a Soldier was born. When Kendal came to me with this idea, I jumped at the opportunity to help make it a reality. I helped coordinate the event by contacting my chain of command and getting permission to volunteer our time. When the idea was brought to my unit, my peers were very excited to participate. MCpl Ryan Reid, Cpl Schuyler Krohn, Cpl Mohamed Darwish, and I quickly populated the volunteer schedule, making the event a huge success. I kept communications going through Kendal and her management team to coordinate all the details and ensure that things ran smoothly.
During the event, we had our volunteers from the unit come in for the morning and assist the baristas with greeting customers, handing out beverages, and spreading kindness. Once the Command Team arrived, we were able to participate in an official Starbucks coffee tasting run by Kendal, learning how coffee and food complement each other in different ways. We also had the opportunity to learn how to steam milk and make our favorite beverages from the Starbucks menu. Along with having a fantastic time, we were able to raise funds for the United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox, and Addington. The event was such a success that we have been asked to make Coffee with a Soldier an annual or semi-annual event. A very special thank you to LCol Alexandre Cote, CWO Dennis Taylor, Lt Nicolas Varey, and Honorary Col Bhavana Varma for attending and helping make this possible. I’m very grateful to the local Starbucks and our Command Team for giving us this incredible opportunity to not only be more involved in the community, but have fun doing so.
Written by: Cpl Michael Buckley. Photos by: Wyatt Brooks