The Albion Cafe, in Albion Lane, has been providing free coffee to people who cannot afford it or easily access it, funded by the goodwill of others.
Owner Jayde Regassa (32), who bought the cafe in July, said she came up with the idea after seeing something similar online happening in America.
''People would pay for [an extra] coffee and people would come in and ask if there were any free coffees,'' Mrs Regassa said.
''I wanted to change it in Dunedin as it would be the same people coming in and I wanted to share it around a bit.
''I didn't want it to turn into a thing where they are thinking 'when is my coffee coming?'''
So Mrs Regassa gives customers the opportunity to buy a ''free coffee'' card and, after a fortnight, delivers the cards to different charitable organisations.
On Wednesday, Mrs Regassa surprised the Otago Community Hospice with 34 free coffee cards.
''It's particularly places where people are having a hard time or can't afford a coffee,'' she said.
''It's a way people can do something nice for other people. We don't spend a lot of time thinking about others.''
Hospice inpatient team leader Mary Ellen Mitchell said it was a nice surprise to receive.
''It was really touching and nice of them to consider the hospice.
''We'd like to say a huge thank you to the people who provided them.''
