Compassionate York Region is Happy About their Happy to Chat Bench

It is just an ordinary bench that has on it a plaque that, along with graphics of 2 people talking on a bench, there is the text "Sit here if you don't mind someone stopping to say hello," located on the main street in downtown Richmond Hill, Ontario. 

By sitting on a Happy to Chat bench, people will know that you're open to a friendly talk.  

It is a small gesture to encourage people to make new friends, break down social isolation barriers, and get people talking.

Benches, by design, are compassionate. A bench can represent compassion in several ways. For example, it can provide a place for people to sit and rest, especially those who may be tired or need support. A bench is usually sturdy, in this way, the bench can symbolize the idea of offering comfort and care to others. Additionally, the fact that a bench is typically a public space, where people from different backgrounds and walks of life can sit together, can also represent the idea of coming together with compassion and understanding for one another.

Compassionate York Region (CYR) will not take credit for this idea of Happy to Chat benches. They know about Happy to Chat benches in New Brunswick, the UK, and Portugal.