Brew Monday

Categories:: Cause
Tags:: Awareness Lifestyle Mental Health
Where:: United States
Date change rule:: Third Monday of January
Holiday emoji:: ☕

Brew Monday, observed on the third Monday of January, encourages everyone to reach out and connect with someone who might be struggling. Take this day to schedule a phone call, video chat, or in-person meeting with a friend, family member, or colleague. These simple acts of connection can make a significant difference in combating loneliness and supporting mental health.

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Expected Brew Monday Deals

As a mental health awareness day, Brew Monday focuses more on community support and fundraising than commercial deals. Organizations like Samaritans, the charity behind the initiative, encourage donations and participation in local events. Coffee shops, such as Starbucks and Tim Hortons, may offer special promotions or partner with mental health charities for donation drives, encouraging customers to connect over a warm beverage. Mental wellness apps like Calm and Headspace often provide free trials or discounted subscriptions to promote access to mindfulness resources. Check local community centers and mental health advocacy groups for virtual or in-person gatherings. We will update this page with confirmed live events and partnerships as January approaches.

Platform Guide for Brew Monday

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #BrewMonday. Share a photo of your warm drink and the person you’re connecting with, or post a mental health check-in for your followers.

X/Twitter

Mention @NatlToday and use #BrewMonday. Share resources, positive messages, or simply ask followers to reach out to someone today.

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #BrewMonday. Create a community event to encourage local meetups or share personal stories of connection and support.

Brew Monday Hero

Chad Varah

Chad Varah (1911–2007) was an Anglican priest and the founder of Samaritans, the world's first telephone helpline for suicide prevention. His pioneering work in 1953 created a compassionate, confidential space for those in distress, laying the groundwork for campaigns like Brew Monday that emphasize human connection and support.

History of Brew Monday

A good place to start learning the history of Brew Monday is with the original Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan. In the story, a traveler is set upon by thieves and left injured and nearly naked on the side of the road. As the daylight approaches, a Jewish priest happens along, and though the robbery victim is a Jew, the priest averts his eyes and passes by. A while later, a Levite also passes by without giving any aid to the man. Finally, a Samaritan — traditional enemies of the Jews — arrives and sets aside his politics to bring the man to help and safety.

It’s in this spirit that the charity Samaritans operates today. In the last 60 years, the organization has undergone several changes in leadership and acquisitions, while expanding outside the UK — its original birthplace — to the US, Asia, and elsewhere. By 2014, Samaritans was receiving over five million calls for help each year, and in 2020 they created the “Brew Monday” campaign to give groups of friends a reason to stay in touch and share their troubles. Always, their main thrust has been to operate a toll-free helpline — at the number 116 123 in the UK.

Part of Brew Monday is commercial, as it is intended to raise funds for Samaritans’ ongoing operations. And we recommend staying inside the lines, we can afford to. But even if not, choose a Monday this winter and make a note to reach out to a friend who needs to hear that they’re worthwhile and loved.

Today, Samaritans fields millions of calls, emails, and other types of contacts in several countries, offering a confidential listening ear to anyone who suffers from emotional distress, up to and including suicidal ideation. In recent years, the org has encouraged individuals to set aside any Monday — especially in wintertime — to get a group together for tea and cakes and to discuss participants’ troubles without fear of reprisal in any way.

Brew Monday timeline

2020

Into the present day

An online campaign dubbed Brew Monday is proposed and publicized as a way to both expand Samaritans’ reach and raise funds for the charity.

2004

A difference in visions

Vicar Chad Varah breaks with Samaritans, citing the fact that its work had become less about emergency support and more about generalized emotional support.

1953

What should not be, to what could

After presiding over the funeral of a 14-year-old girl who committed suicide, vicar Chad Varah places an ad in his local newpaper calling for volunteers to come and be available to speak with the emotionally distressed of his parish.

1st Century CE

Literally or figuratively

The original Good Samaritan — if you believe the Christian Bible to be a factual account — rises above his prejudices to assist another in need.

How Businesses Can Celebrate Brew Monday

Local businesses can embrace Brew Monday by creating welcoming spaces for connection. Coffee shops and cafes can offer special ‘Brew Monday’ discounts on hot beverages, encouraging customers to meet up. Workplaces can organize virtual or in-person coffee breaks, providing a dedicated time for colleagues to chat and check in on each other. Retailers might partner with local mental health charities, offering a portion of sales from specific items as a donation or hosting an information booth with resources on mental well-being. The focus should be on fostering genuine connection and raising awareness.

Brew Monday FAQs

When is Brew Monday?

In 2027, Brew Monday is observed on Monday, January 18. It’s a key date to prioritize mental well-being by reaching out and fostering meaningful conversations.

What is the purpose of Brew Monday?

The day, spearheaded by Samaritans, aims to reduce feelings of isolation by fostering simple acts of connection. It highlights the importance of conversation and mutual support for mental health.

How can I participate in Brew Monday?

You can also support mental health charities, share positive messages on social media using #BrewMonday, or simply listen to someone who needs to talk. The goal is to make human connection a priority.

Is Brew Monday related to Blue Monday?

Brew Monday offers an antidote to the perceived gloom of ‘Blue Monday’ by actively promoting human interaction and support. It transforms a potentially challenging day into an opportunity for positive engagement and mental well-being.

How To Observe Brew Monday

Hold an official Brew Monday of your own
Make up a list of your friends and acquaintances, making sure to include that one friend who often seems sad, and go to samaritans.org to download the official digital pack, which contains instructions on how to make sure your event equates to a donation to the charity.
Make your day a day of outreach
We believe that even without the official fundraising aspect, it’s a good idea to keep lonely friends in mind — whether it’s Monday or not — and give them a call or an email today to let them know you’re in their corner.
Join the fight
Although Samaritans volunteers have to undergo a recruitment and training process, and Samaritans does not offer work-at-home volunteering, you may find it in your heart to find the nearest brick-and-mortar office and inquire about helping them man the phones. Talk about good karma!

5 Amazing Facts About The Samaritans Charity

Best practices
Samaritans has received multiple awards for their suicide-reporting guidelines, published in 2013.
No judgement
Despite its original religious affiliation, the Samaritans of today do not denounce suicide as a sin, nor does it require callers to exhibit that ideation, taking a great number of calls from individuals who feel no urge to harm themselves.
Joining forces
Via electronic communications, Samaritans receives calls for help from around the world — even more so since it merged with “Befrienders Worldwide,” a charity with similar operational principles.
“Umm, maybe not …”
For a brief period in 2014, Samaritans offered an app that would automatically analyze a Twitter user’s friends’ posts and alert the user if the AI detected signs of emotional distress, but the app was scrapped due to the danger of internet trolls using it to seek out already-weakened victims.
Gotta make the cut
Samaritans volunteers go through extensive practical and sensitivity training, learning how to ask open-ended questions and how to encourage callers to find their own way forward, instead of the volunteers offering specific advice.

Why We Love Brew Monday

It’s about compassion
We won’t tell you a children’s fairy tale about how there’s no one out there who would not only refrain from helping someone who was down, but would also exacerbate the situation if they could. That’s why sentiments like the ones behind Brew Monday are so important — volunteers and regular old friends can make a strike for a victory on the good side of the board.
We can fully participate
If there’s anything better than touching base with friends who need that bit of encouragement, it’s raising money for a great charity at the same time! One Monday this January, see if you can pull an official Brew Monday event together.
It represents what’s good about religion, without the dogma
At the heart of Brew Monday is one of the best things to be found in life — brotherly love. Some people don’t feel the need to go to church to feel it and express it. Positivity is its own reward.