Recent News

May 30, 2023

Coffee Talk with Harmonia's Sarah Cozzemera

Our second Coffee Talk is with Morgan Popple, co-owner of The Bagel Jar in Derby, NY. We sat down at a very bright + lovely table on a beautiful lakeside morning.

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WHAT: May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Harmonia Collaborative Care is initiating a bi-monthly interview-based conversation series about mental health in our community. Morgan + John Popple are the co-owners of The Bagel Jar; and today Morgan and I discussed running a business, participating in community building, and life. With balance. And Coffee.

Q: As a business owner, what is the importance of mental health in terms of safe staffing, professional conduct, and productivity?

A: I think supporting the mental health of all your employees makes for a better work environment + contributes to employees wanting to be there. There is synergy between supporting your employees and striving to reach business goals; they’re related and integral to each other.

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Q: Does your company offer any professional development / training resources for mental health? If not, would you like additional information on services offered at Harmonia?

A: We haven’t done a lot of initiatives on this yet, but we will. We do work to have a close relationship with our employees so that if they need a day off to prioritize their families – they can. We work with them on balance so they can give us the best effort. The more John + I can be examples of positive, balanced living it helps our employees be able to better advocate for themselves. We would love to have Harmonia collaborate with us to provide a workshop or sessions on techniques for managing stress – especially for people working in a commercial kitchen.

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Q: How can local business owners + community leaders work to support mental health initiatives + service providers?

A: By working with companies like Harmonia and having that connection with community resources, it normalizes mental health strategies + wellness in our daily routines. It creates a ripple effect of employees feeling balanced, families being supported, and then businesses also developing stronger relationships in the community through partnerships with service providers.

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BONUS QUESTION video:

Go to HARMONIA's Instagram and Facebook pages (@harmoniacollaborativecare) to see our wrap up on this Coffee Talk session!

THANK YOU for joining us + check back in for our next conversation. As always: may your coffee be strong and your knowledge of community support systems even stronger.

Special THANK YOU to THE BAGEL JAR for their time, delicious bagels, and all the ways they contribute to our community – including regular local food bank donations! Find them on Facebook + Instagram: @thebageljar.