Connect Cafe is providing a nurturing environment for youth aging out of foster care

(from left to right) Connect Cafe employee Montayja and Randy Ross. // Photo by Mar’Che Boggess

More than just a coffee shop, Connect Cafe located on Armstrong Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas is dedicated to providing youth ages 17-24 currently in or aging out of the foster care system with employment, and any additional support they need as they transition into living independently. 

Nearly three years ago when FosterAdopt Connect purchased the old Kansas City Kansan newspaper building, they initially planned to just use the three-story space for offices and programming, until they realized that the street-level basement would be perfect for a cafe. 

Artwork by local artist Michael Brantley adorns the walls and goods from other locally owned businesses are available for purchase in the middle of the cafe, including Connect Cafe’s own collection of jams that are made in-house.

In addition to their coffee, pastries and baked goods, their menu offers a wide variety of scratch made breakfast and lunch options including soups, salads, wraps, and sandwiches.

The cafe concept is largely inspired by The Monkey and The Elephant, a nonprofit coffee shop in Philadelphia that also employs former foster youth and provides them with a safe space to gain professional and personal development skills.

Owner Randy Ross has close ties to the Kansas foster care system, as he and his wife Lori, CEO and founder of FosterAdopt Connect have been foster parents for over 35 years now.  Together the two have fostered over 400 children and adopted 23 while raising their five biological children.

A few years ago, after selling his business, Lori encouraged Randy to merge his passion for helping kids in foster care with his knowledge and skills from working in the restaurant industry and open a small cafe.

“When we put a cafe into a program and kind of blended those two, I wasn’t quite sure how it was all gonna work out because not many people do this type of thing,” says Ross.

Despite his initial doubts, he says it’s been a fairly good ride since opening the cafe last October. 

“We’ve got a lot of good people here in downtown KCK, and a lot of good regulars,” says Ross. “I didn’t know what to expect in downtown. At lunchtime and majority of the day, there’s a line going out the door.”

Being located near many local government agencies and buildings, they serve a diverse group of customers on any given day from mental health professionals to judges and attorneys, to law enforcement officers.

Providing a safe space

Connect Cafe works directly with other local nonprofit organizations like Hillcrest Ministries, Restart Inc., and YOUTHrive to provide youth in their transitional programs an opportunity to have part time employment. Aside from having food, shelter, and transportation through the transitional program, the cafe hopes to help them gain a sense of stability.

Once you turn 18 in the foster care system you lose a lot of resources including medical assistance and funding.

“When you catch them [as they’re aging out] right there, they can be really lost and confused because everything is new to them, it can be challenging, everyone has their own individual issues” says Jeffery Lavy, program manager of Connect Cafe.

Over the course of 9-12 months, Ross and Lavy work hands on with the kids to provide them with a safe space to hone their soft skills like working in a team and communication while also helping them navigate all that comes with adulthood like learning to stick to a budget and buying car insurance. By the time they leave the program, Ross and Lavy are able to see that the kids are more confident than they were when they came in.

As a part of their concept, they don’t fire anyone, but are willing to work alongside the kids as they adjust to learning time management, communicating effectively, and being disciplined. If for whatever reason things don’t work out, the kids are always welcome to come back through their doors.

“Our purpose is to ground them and give them a safe place to get to that point of feeling stable and actually being stable,” says Lavy.

Jeffery Lavy. program manager of Connect Cafe // Photo by Mar’Che Boggess

“What’s really nice is bringing these kids in here and they’re picking up new skill sets. You know, working with customers or learning how to cook and clean, and things like that,” says Ross. “What we’re trying to do is develop them to get them to that point to where they feel comfortable enough in themselves to go and work.”

Montayja, one of the newest employees, heard about Connect Cafe through Hillcrest Ministries. Since she started about two months ago, she’s been able to gain skills as a barista and get more comfortable talking with customers. Aside from the calming environment in the cafe, she loves how encouraging and helpful everyone is.

“”They give their flowers to everyone. They congratulate you even if it’s for something small and that’s always good to hear, just to know that you’re being noticed and recognized.” she says.

Support beyond the cafe

Connect Cafe employees also have access to the other resources within the building. In addition to having a free meal during their shift, they’re able to access the food pantry and Sammy’s Window, a closet full of gently used clothing and shoes right down the hall from the cafe.

That support for them isn’t just limited to their time working at the cafe. As they transition into adulthood and gain independence, FosterAdopt Connect is right there to offer them the support they need.

“To the kid who does find an apartment, we have access to help find him a bed to sleep on and covers to keep him warm. It goes beyond clothes and shoes,” says Ross. “We just try to stay connected with the kids. A lot of these kids don’t have connections, so we’re it.”

Through FosterAdopt Connect’s Family Finder’s program, retired law enforcement workers help to connect kids with relatives that may live out of state if their parents aren’t present in hopes to provide them with a support system.

FosterAdopt Connect also plans to turn the third-floor space of the building into a tech school where kids can learn different trades like dog grooming, computers, and mechanics to aid in their success beyond their time at the cafe.

Ross eventually hopes to open more Connect Cafe locations in the future, providing safe spaces for more foster aged youth beyond Kansas City.

Connect Cafe is located at 756 Armstrong Ave, Kansas City, Kansas 66101. They’re open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.