Cafe Momentum, a Dallas-based restaurant and culinary training facility, transforms young people's lives by providing a positive environment in which at-risk youth who have spent time in juvenile facilities receive intensive culinary, job and life-skill training, as well as the education, continued mentorship and support that enable them to achieve their full potential.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit restaurant, Cafe Momentum teaches critical skills that allow youth to apply what they have been taught in pre-release programs in a safe, real-world environment of nurturing accountability. By participating in our program, at-risk young men and young women rotate through every aspect of the restaurant from waiting tables to washing dishes, while working side-by-side with established chefs.
We request funds for the Café Momentum Internship, a paid workforce development program set in a fine dining restaurant that justice-involved teens use to chart a new course in life. Interns work through our Tiers of Success model, in which they learn all stations of the restaurant and other core workforce skills while also re-enrolling in high school, practicing leadership, and receiving comprehensive support from a case manager and on-site licensed psychologist. Restaurant and catering revenue only provides a portion of our programming budget, so we rely on generous donors to fund the remainder. Thank you for your support!
Cafe Momentum, a Dallas-based restaurant and culinary training facility, transforms young lives by equipping our community's most marginalized youth with life skills, education and employment opportunities to help them achieve their full potential.
Over 5,300 Texas youth are involved in the justice system each year, and nearly half recidivate after release (Texas LBB, 2019). The Café Momentum internship offers an alternative: a paid workforce development program with wraparound support that justice-involved youth (ages 15-19) use to chart a new course in life. Interns work through Café Momentum’s program model (Tiers of Success) where they meet core requirements in workforce development, re-enroll in high school, and practice leadership. Throughout, interns work closely with case managers and an on-site licensed psychologist for comprehensive support.
Café Momentum recognizes that we are a stronger and more effective organization because of the perspectives and contributions of the youth we serve, staff we hire, and the greater Dallas community. Our commitment to equity includes prioritizing and affirming the important nature of leadership reflecting those we serve, valuing the visible and invisible attributes that each individual offers and becoming more culturally competent so that we are better equipped to work with our youth.
Organization name
Cafe Momentum
Causes
Employment & Workforce Development, Justice-involved adults or youth, Education - K-12
Operating Budget
$3,000,000 - $9,999,999
Counties Served
Dallas
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Other
BIPOC Leadership
Board Chair
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
1510 Pacific Ave.