Local Cafe Serves Delicious Food with a Side of Social Responsibility
Located at the corner of California and Park Avenue W in downtown Denver sits a small café. If it weren’t for a sign highlighting that they are open, you might walk right past Café United. But you shouldn’t. If you aren’t impressed by their great breakfast and lunch options (farm fresh salad with goat cheese? Yes, please!) then maybe their low prices will lure you in. Delicious food that doesn’t break the bank not enough? What about supporting an important mission and dedicated focus on social responsibility through workforce training that creates opportunities for disadvantaged women? We say yes!
While Café United has been open for just under two years, its history dates back to 1997, when a Denver social worker created Work Options for Women. Toni Schmid’s primary goal with the nonprofit was to help disadvantaged women find stability through the food service industry. Almost 20 years later and their mission rings true to Schmid’s original goals.
Work Options for Women’s mission statement reads, “To help impoverished women gain the skills and confidence they need to work their way out of poverty and become gainfully and permanently employed in the food service industry.”
After consuming many chicken salad sandwiches, farm fresh salads, a few caprese paninis and many daily specials, ULC decided to learn more about the backstory behind Café United, which is run and funded by Work Options for Women and Mile High United Way. The latter, which is housed directly above the café, aims to be a catalyst for social change. Through direct partnerships with nonprofits, policy makers and businesses, Mile High United Way tackles complex issues facing metro Denver residents to alleviate poverty and strengthen communities.
Work Options for Women currently has a café housed inside the Denver Human Services building, but is not open to the public. The organization wanted to expand their public outreach through a café and catering business, which helped spark the current partnership they now share with Mile High United Way. We recently met with Bailey Denmark, who is the Development Director for Work Options for Women.
Denmark, who deals primarily with fundraising, has been on the team since June of 2016. As a nonprofit organization, Work Options relies heavily on outside funding and grants, which is where Denmark comes in. When asked why she chose to join Work Options, Denmark explained it was a no brainer.
“I was absolutely blown away by Work Option for Women’s dedication to the community and the real, tangible changes they were making,” Denmark said. “I knew that I had to be a part of this organization.”
Since her time with the organization, Denmark has noticed the stark contrast in confidence of the women who go through training with Work Options. One of her favorite success stories was with Tomasita, one of the first graduates from their advanced training program. In the beginning Tomasita had two kids and was living from her car. After excelling in her Work Options Training, she now has a full time job at the Anschutz Medical Campus, is making a stable income and her oldest daughter is currently applying to several colleges.
And this is but one of the many success stories emanating from Work Option’s training program. Denmark explained that while there is a culinary focus on training, the goal is for each lesson to be transferrable in any job situation. She explained that Work Options for Women is about teaching employable behaviors and skills that can translate to any work environment. And at no cost to the students, these “internships” are helping women not only find jobs, but keep them.
One of Work Options teaching methods is based in incentives. Since these are unpaid internships, and many of the women need some source of income, the training program offers incentives for good behavior. Denmark explained that each student could receive up to $75 each week for various instances of good qualities such as showing up for work on time, or keeping their cellphones out of the classroom. This principle also applies to bad behaviors and work ethics, with money being taken away from their weekly incentives.
The training programs at Work Options for Women typically last anywhere from six to nine weeks, but they are extremely individualized. Denmark explained that some women have a wealth of past culinary knowledge, so they graduate from the program at an accelerated rate, while others are entering a completely new territory and spend a longer time in training. Graduation is reached once students receive full time employment and have remained at the same place of work for 90 days.
After regularly visiting Café United and later speaking with Denmark, there is no question that Work Options for Women is changing the lives of many women. As Denmark explained, “poverty is rarely just one issue. It is an all encompassing problem, and the reason that Work Options for Women was started was to tackle that issue of poverty in a holistic manner.”
So cheers to you Work Options for Women! Thank you for succeeding in your mission to help women across metro Denver learn the steps towards creating a sustainable – and attainable – career path. ULC will keep coming in regularly for one of our favorite lunches in town, but now with a little bit of women empowerment on the side.