MIDDLEBORO — Often the smallest splurges are the hardest to give up when money is tight, something that the owners of Coffee Milano, Josh Rashid and Gunnar Gudmundsson, know all too well.  

That’s why Rashid and Gudmundsson decided to install a “Coffee and Kindness” bulletin board at the well-known downtown Middleboro coffee shop. Decorated with the words “No Judgement Just Kindness,” and several other messages about supporting others, the board provides a space for people to donate meals and drinks to those in need. 

Customers can purchase anything on the menu, write what they’ve purchased on a sticky note and stick it on the wall. These notes can be cashed in by anyone in need, no questions asked, explained Rashid. 

“Times can be tough, but good food and drink can always put a smile on someone’s face,” said Rashid, when asked what spurred the decision to put up the board. 

The wall is filled with sticky notes containing all sorts of donations, from free hot drinks to breakfast sandwiches and lunch specials. 

Many customers have paid in advance for their favorite Coffee Milano specials for others to enjoy, said Rashid.  

Since installing the board, more people have been putting up notes than taking them down, he noted. “It’s refreshing to see people giving more than taking, but I hope people feel comfortable taking when they’re in need.” 

The “pay-it-forward" message, spelled out black letters on the board, is one Middleboro resident Jessica Pina takes to heart.  

“I’ve been in a tough spot, where I’ve wanted a coffee and couldn’t get one," she said, explaining why she contributed.  

Eileen Altieri, owner of Divine Consign Retail Boutique in Lakeville, paid for six iced coffees and four breakfast sandwiches in the name of her shop.  

As a firm believer that businesses should give back to their communities, she wanted to support Coffee Milano for doing just that. “It touched my heart,” she said.  

The sentiment is something Rashid couldn’t agree more with. 

“We have to lift people up in this community, because without them, we don’t exist,” he said of the coffee shop.