I often ask myself, what’s in a name? Much like the cover of a book, it’s a first impression of what might lie inside, often revealing as much about the viewer as it does the creator.
The name Wildflyer can drum up some pretty vivid images: the freedom of birds soaring amongst the clouds; speeding down a winding road on a bicycle, brakes howling, the wind whipping past your ears; or that jolt of empowerment when you find a crew that supports your vision for what could be. Wildflyer Coffee is a Twin Cities–based not-for-profit that aims to be that crew, breaking the cycle of youth homelessness and housing instability through life skills and job training programs via their cafés in Minneapolis and St. Paul. It’s a tall order, and a dire need.
Estimates suggest around 6,000 youth have nowhere to go every night across Minnesota and shelter facilities are sorely lacking capacity. How Wildflyer thinks about this problem isn’t “we just need more beds.”, rather that it’s a systemic skill, opportunity, and equity problem.
“The biggest barrier youth experiencing homelessness face is finding and maintaining employment, which is why we support our youth every step of the way.”
Through their Work & Life Skills program, wildflyers (yep, that’s a noun now) learn the hard skills a barista needs: tasting, seed-to-cup basics, and working the espresso bar. They also keep a regular schedule in the cafe, building consistency and confidence over time. The program doesn’t stop when the cafe closes. Training in customer service, workplace mental health, résumé writing, mock interviews, and job-search support helps set them up for what’s next.
This third-space meets skill-building mashup is an approach that tackles a core driver of youth homelessness, but also reminds the broader community that when we step through those doors, we have a role to play, too.
As part of our commitment to donate 1% of net profits annually, we’re proudly going into our third year of supporting Wildflyer Coffee’s work and the hope inspired by their name. They’re a living, breathing example of how coffee can be the means, but community action and support turn belonging into a verb.
If you’re in the Twin Cities looking for a place to sip, stop by the Minneapolis cafe or the St. Paul cafe. Or find some inspiration on what coffee + community can do together in Wildflyer’s annual report here.