By Kirra Livingstone
VWF Command Post Café is Beerwah’s newest café and community hub, run purely non-for-profit, focusing specifically on providing veterans’ health and wellbeing, as well as anyone who is in need.
The hub is the first of its kind in Australia, serving as a one-stop shop for veterans seeking mental, health, and financial support, located at Beerwah’s new health hub, with a wellbeing officer based at the café.
Owner, Pete Kennedy, said since opening last month, the hub has helped many people looking for support through the café and his new charity, ‘Veteran Wellbeing Foundation’.
“I have probably had ten people through the back to the triage that I’ve already given assistance to, because realistically the café is just the facade,” he said.
“The café is here for a number of reasons, but the café is what gets the people through the door. The real beating heart, I suppose, of Veteran Wellbeing Foundation is what happens in the back.
“The general feedback from the community has been fantastic so far. It’s not about competition between cafés or anything like that, it’s providing a unique service that no one else is doing.”
Support available for veterans is endless at the hub, which can help with their health, mental health, financial support, anything that they need.
“We offer veterans help with their general health, allied health, and mental health, all those kinds of things,” he said.
“We have a conversation advocate in there for the DVA paperwork.
“We also have a wellbeing officer in there who’s a veteran and understands that landscape.”
Pete added that all the profits that the café makes will go straight back into the community, which is what the hub is all about.
“Basically, the only people that get paid out of this are the girls and boys working in the café because that’s their job,” he said.
“Any other profits that are made out of it will go into a welfare fund, and that will be available for us to run any projects, provide assistance. We will be able to provide meals if someone is struggling.
“You can also pay it forward with a pie or coffee and leave a note on the giving board for those who need something to eat or drink, providing a dignified experience for those who are struggling.”
VWF Command Post Café is located at the Beerwah Health Hub on Turner Street.
kirra@gcnews.com.au