Chennai: It is said a lot can happen over a cup of coffee. This seems right. A ‘Coffee Club’ in Velacheri has been doing a lot of social service in the locality.
The group which did not meet intentionally, now meets daily at a restaurant in Taramani, over cups of coffee and a number of newspapers. They sit and discuss things happening around them.
A member of the club, Dhamodaran says the group was formed five years ago. “I am happy to be part of this club. We get together and try to make whatever small positive change in the society that we can.”
On Sundays, at least 20 of them get together. On other days, it is around 10 members. They belong to the age group of 45 to 70 and meet at 7 am. They even have an active WhatsApp group.
Kumararaja, another member, recalls how they all met and subsequently formed the club.
“We all play badminton or go for walks in the morning and then go for coffee which is where we all see each other and that familiarity turned into friendship. It was an organic formation, we did not plan to form the club.”
These people have been together for five years and even celebrate birthdays of members and take part in each others’ family functions. They even go for one day trips monthly.
The group has builders, advocates, businessmen, former policemen and retired government officials as its members.
‘We sit together, read different newspapers and have a discussion on daily news. All of us are social service minded. We helped when the flood and cyclone hit the city in the past. During the Jallikattu agitation, we organised protests in Velacheri.’
Recently, they all pitched in to save waterbodies in the neighbourhood.