Fostering change and breaking the cycle: The grant enables Café Momentum
Denver’s 2024 launch, expanding supportive ecosystems for justice-impacted youth
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DENVER, CO, November 10, 2023 – Today, the Momentum Advisory Collective announced a one million dollar grant from the Denver Broncos Foundation to support justice-involved youth through Café Momentum, an award-winning restaurant and culinary training facility that hires youth exiting juvenile detention and employs them as paid interns to run all aspects of the business. This grant signifies the Foundation’s continued commitment to transformative community initiatives. The funds will fuel the launch and operationalization of Café Momentum’s groundbreaking program and restaurant in the Denver market, scheduled for 2024, and will significantly amplify the mission to empower young people, ages 15-19, impacted by the justice system. The Denver program’s total fundraising goal is four million dollars to build the restaurant and community service center, hire and train youth and staff, and provide the new program with 6-8 months of operating capital.
“We are thrilled to announce this strategic partnership with Café Momentum in an effort to comprehensively serve justice-involved youth in the Metro Denver Area,” Denver Broncos Foundation Executive Director Allie Engelken said. “With the dedicated support of Owner and Board Chair Carrie Walton Penner, the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group and entire board of directors, the Foundation is committed to deepening educational and economic opportunities and pathways for all youth beyond high school.”
The grant will facilitate the expansion of Café Momentum’s ecosystem of support, offering comprehensive services, including 24/7 case management, education, mental health and workforce development. With a proven track record of aiding over 1,000 youths, Café Momentum Denver aims to break the cycle of incarceration and support justice-involved youth by instilling hope and fostering positive change within the community.
“Our partnership with the Denver Broncos Foundation exemplifies the power of united visions. Together, we are deeply committed to providing resources and opportunities to youth involved in the justice system. This partnership reinforces our shared belief in potential, second chances and transformative growth. Café Momentum Denver will be more than just a dining destination – it will stand as a testament to what’s possible when a community comes together to champion its youth,” stated Olivia Cole, Chief Strategy Officer of Momentum Advisory Collective.
Originating in Dallas, TX, Café Momentum offers a revolutionary model designed to transform the lives of justice-involved youth through a paid 12-month internship program. Interns gain multifaceted experience by rotating through all aspects of the restaurant, acquiring life and social skills. Momentum Advisory Collective (M.A.C.), which facilitates the expansion of Café Momentum, has successfully inaugurated programs and restaurants in several locations, including Pittsburgh and introduced a mini internship program in Nashville, with the support of Stand Together Foundation.
The juvenile justice system in America is in a dire state, with Colorado ranking 17th in youth incarceration rates nationwide. Particularly alarming is the disproportionate representation, with African American youth 7.3 times more likely to be incarcerated than their white counterparts, costing the Denver community $132,000 annually per youth, according to No Kids in Prison. Café Momentum’s successful model is a proven alternative, focusing on empowering youth to flourish and realize their full potential, hence providing a more constructive pathway forward. Investing in Café Momentum is investing in a better, more equitable future.
To learn more about the expansion of Café Momentum and to stay updated on the transformative journey, visit momentumadvisory.co and follow us on Instagram.
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About the Denver Broncos Foundation
The Denver Broncos Foundation is committed to making a positive impact on future generations by creating a “game plan” for life through youth health and wellness initiatives, dynamic in and out-of-school programming, and access to career pathways. For more information on the Denver Broncos’ community partnerships and programs, please visit www.denverbroncos.com/foundation or follow @BroncosOffField on Twitter and Instagram.
About Café Momentum
Café Momentum is an award-winning restaurant and culinary training facility. We aim to transform young lives by equipping our community’s justice-involved youth with life skills, education and employment opportunities to help them achieve their full potential. In building Café Momentum, our primary goal is to build a sustainable model that provides justice-impacted youth (ages 15-19) with the holistic support they need to truly thrive.
About Momentum Advisory Co.
Momentum Advisory Collective™ (M.A.C.), the parent company of Café Momentum, is expanding the Momentum model for juvenile justice by building programs that expand opportunities for justice-involved youth to reach their full potential with the holistic support of their community. M.A.C. is funded and made possible by the support of the Stand Together Foundation. Visit www.momentumadvisory.co and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube to learn more.