Nonprofit coffee shop to bring programs for young refugees, immigrants to Fort Collins
A new cafe is coming to town, and it will serve far more than coffee.
Arboretum Coffee, a nonprofit coffee shop offering apprenticeship programs for Fort Collins' young refugees and immigrants, is set to open later this month at 221 W. Prospect Road, according to founder Hannah Norris.
Drawing on other nonprofit coffee shop models across the U.S., Norris said she came up with the idea for Arboretum Coffee after working as a caseworker at The Matthews House, a Fort Collins nonprofit that provides resources for area youth and families living in poverty.
"I was seeing and learning how our current social systems aren’t actually set up well to support people who need them — ranging from refugees and immigrants to people dealing with poverty and everyone in between," Norris said.
In recent years, Norris also noticed the influx of refugees settling in Fort Collins — including Venezuelan asylum seekers and Ukrainian and Afghan refugees fleeing their war-torn homes.
"A lot of refugees and immigrants have to start in unsafe and undignified working environments when they get to the U.S. in order to pay the bills," she said. "The first generation of refugees and immigrants (who come to the U.S.) tend to get stuck in not-great situations."
To combat this, Norris said Arboretum Coffee is starting small by providing 12-month apprenticeship programs to two five-person cohorts of young refugees and immigrants. The participants will range in age from 18 to 24, with the first cohort starting later this month and the next starting in July.
Participants will learn barista and customer service skills through on-the-job training and receive one-on-one mentoring and classes in financial literacy and career preparation, according to Norris. The shop's model will rely on fundraising from the community and volunteer mentors, who can sign up to work barista shifts alongside Arboretum's apprentices.
Arboretum Coffee is set to open Monda, Jan. 22, taking over a space in the Prospect Station Apartments previously occupied by My Empanadas. Due to its proximity to the Mason Trail, Norris said the shop will offer discounts for cyclists and public transit users.
To learn more or volunteer for Arboretum Coffee, visit arboretumcoffee.org.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins nonprofit cafe will focus on helping refugees, immigrants
