Seattle's Street Bean Coffee Offers Support To Youth In Need – CoffeeTalk

Street Bean Coffee Roasters in Belltown, Seattle, offers a unique blend of espresso drinks, Macrina Bakery pastries, and a classic coffee shop vibe. The coffee shop is connected to New Horizons, a social service nonprofit that has been working with young people experiencing housing instability for nearly 50 years. Through this program, Street Bean provides job training opportunities for young people to gain skills and prepare for employment.

Lindsey Adamo, Director of Operations, describes Street Bean as a place to meet young people where they are in a holistic way. Established 15 years ago, Street Bean operates an apprenticeship program for young people experiencing housing instability or who have a self-identified barrier to traditional employment. Apprentices participate in a four-month training program, identifying individualized goals, learning the specifics of working in a coffee shop and general soft skills of employment, and receiving coaching and assistance with job search tasks.

Mary Egenbacher, Fundraising Coordinator, notes that every cup or bag of coffee purchased from Street Bean helps their employment training program flourish, ultimately helping young people prepare for employment and economic independence. The apprenticeship program has various outcomes for former apprentices, such as employment at coffee shops as managers, participation in school, housing stability, and getting mental health medication in order.

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