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RUBÉN ROSARIO
He became a foster care ward of the state at age 3, lost his birth mother at age 11 and found himself homeless by age 20, sleeping inside shelters and cars.
But Mike O'Connor, now all of 23 years old, doesn't want to dwell on his past. He prefers to talk about what it takes to make a latte, something about which I have no clue.
"Six ounces — two shots of espresso — and steamed milk,'' he rattles off as we chat inside Fresh Grounds, a unique coffeehouse in St. Paul's West Seventh neighborhood that is serving self-sufficiency and hope along with daily jolts of java.
For the first time in his life, O'Connor has a decent job — actually two — and his own roof over his head. Actually, it's right above the coffee shop, which means that he has no excuse for not making it to work.
O'Connor is one of 12 tenants of Seventh Landing, a nonprofit housing and business complex built three years ago to address the needs of homeless youths and young adults ages 18 to 24. Five work at the street-level, nondescript coffee shop at 1362 W. Seventh St.
Modeled after a similar and successful Ben & Jerry's ice cream store and housing partnership in New York, Fresh Grounds/Seventh Landing's mission is to serve as a stabilizing bridge toward independence and self-reliance for a group that is among the most vulnerable of the Minnesota's homeless population.
A Wilder Foundation survey of homeless youths in the state conducted two years ago found that almost seven of 10 spent time as children in a foster home, group home or other residential facility. Nearly half have been abused — either physically or sexually — and four in 10 have serious mental health problems. Many who make the transition out of institutional residency also are underemployed or have dropped out of high school, the survey found.
The effort linking work and housing, which is being replicated in Washington and Dakota counties, is "aimed at homeless kids aging out of foster care or corrections who don't have a supportive environment to live in," said Dan Cain, CEO of RS Eden, a St. Paul-based nonprofit entity that raised private and government funds for the project.
The initial business was not coffee but a catering service. When that idea went bust, project organizers and apartment tenants met with representatives from the West Seventh/Fort Road Federation, which serves as the area's district planning council.
"The idea was either a Kinko's type service or the coffeehouse,'' Craig said.
The initial tenants took on the task of selling the concept to the neighborhood. They created a business plan, conducted market research and came up with the name and logo for the coffeehouse. Along with volunteers, the tenants decorated and painted the shop, which opened in August.
Betty Moran, the federation's community organizer, said there had been some concerns from area residents about safety and what kind of youths would be living at the complex. The tenants themselves allayed those fears.
"I was impressed,'' said Moran, who added that the tenants made her and others more acutely aware of the challenges facing such young men and women.
"After they come out of foster care, for many, there's nothing there for them,'' Moran said. "With a family, there's often a net there to support or point them in the right direction. They are left to fend for themselves.''
Of the 32 homeless people who have resided in the housing complex since it opened in 2003, all are or became high school graduates, and a few are pursuing post-secondary education. About 90 percent are either gainfully employed or attending school.
Two former tenants are Ash Geerdes, 20, and Jonathan Joyner, 19. Both are rooming together and working at a local pizza parlor. Geerdes, originally from Iowa, kicked a drug habit that landed her several times in lock-up for possession.
"This place has given me the opportunity to come to work, to gain respect and to learn about the coffee business, which I like,'' Geerdes said.
Joyner, who also slept in a car and a hotel for about a month after aging out of the foster care system, served as the coffee shop's assistant manager until he found another job and housing.
"This works,'' he said. "A lot of young people out there end up in homeless shelters, or couch hopping or sleeping in parks, and that exposes some to fighting, drugs and a more volatile environment.''
One remaining challenge is how to attract more clientele to the coffee shop. Although business was steady during the summer months, it has dropped.
"It's losing money,'' said Craig, who added that workers are paid about $7 an hour. "But that's not the goal, really. It would be nice to make a profit. The goal is that we make money and become self-sufficient. That would be the best-case scenario.
Add one new customer at least. This place sounds like my cup of Joe.
Rubén Rosario can be reached at rrosario@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5454.
