A Texas coffee shop is hiring young workers who no longer are under the foster care system. The La La Land Kindness Cafe in Dallas, has hired 9 former foster kids. Since many foster kids are left without a support system once they age out of the system, many of them can end up on the streets.
Good Samaritan cafe owner employs At-risk teens
Good samaritan cafe owner Francois Reihani makes sure that doesn’t happen. CBS News reports that Reihani’s goal is to help those youth learn skills they can use in the real world. Foster children usually age out of the system when they’re 18, though there’s no set age that marks the end of foster care.
On average, 20,000 youth age out of the system every year. Only 50 percent gain employment, while 20% immediately become homeless. More than 1,200 young adults aged out of the system in Texas last year. Reihani has turned his cafe into a safe haven for those young adults.
La La Land Cafe becoming a safe haven for employees
Reihani says he was inspired to launch his cafe’s business model, after attending a meeting for a local nonprofit that served foster kids in Texas. The restaurant has ended up being a source of employment for at-risk teens. Morever, it has become a safe haven and support system for its employees.
https://www.facebook.com/lalalandkindcafe/posts/260437648075914:0
Reihani now hopes that his café will inspire other small businesses to adopt similar initiatives. Reihani says they’re in the business of kindness rather than the business of coffee. Employee Ciara Morton dealt with depression and homelessness but the good news is she found support at La La Land, and her experience was life changing. She never had the support that she gets from the cafe. This has given her the ability to believe in herself and chase after her dreams.
Taking the risk to help these young adults out is an amazing example of doing good. Does someone in your community have a similar system in place to help those who have aged out of the foster care system. Share your opinions in the comment section.
