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The Upside

What a boss: Brewerytown cafe owner helps former foster kids build skills, find jobs, and create a supportive community

The Monkey and the Elephant (M&E), a non-profit coffee shop, seeks to equip those recently aged out of foster care with the tools necessary for adulthood. Since 2015, the cafe has employed dozens of former foster youth while also curating weekly personal- and professional-skill-building workshops.

Yazmeen Washington, 21, pulls an espresso at The Monkey and the Elephant, a non-profit coffee shop that seeks to equip those recently aged out of foster care with the tools necessary for adulthood.
Yazmeen Washington, 21, pulls an espresso at The Monkey and the Elephant, a non-profit coffee shop that seeks to equip those recently aged out of foster care with the tools necessary for adulthood.Read moreGrace Dickinson / STAFF