KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The buzz built quickly for Neighbors Coffee at 82nd and The Paseo.
"We've had lines wrapped around the block," said a very grateful Justin Roberts. Roberts and his wife Sam Roberts just opened Neighbors Coffee in the last several weeks and are now working to hire people who age out of the foster care system.
When I went last week, it was busting with people working and families with their kids.
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"I had heard great things," said first-time customer Claire Taliaferro.
She had heard about the coffee but also their mission.
The family friendly spot in the Marlborough neighborhood is bringing people not just for what they pour in your cup. "We look at what we're doing as pouring into the next generation," said Roberts.
"It's amazing, they're doing a lot right and its fun to see people come out and support the cause as well," said Taliaferro.
They've been having interviews for people who have aged out of the foster care system to join their team.
"I think the common thread that I'm seeing is like, there's a sense of like I almost feel forgotten, you know? And my wife and I, we want them to be seen, loved, and really just like hey everything's gonna be ok."
Once foster parents themselves to a five year old boy, they have since adopted their son who's now 9 years old.
"He instantly just fit into our family," said Roberts. "We really just felt like this idea of we want to do more for the foster care community."
At Neighbors, they plan to hire two employees for a six month apprenticeship that will include classes for life skills like financial literacy and more. "Really create that relationship even after the apprenticeship is done."
And their mission has already grown. This month they'll start donating to multiple local foster care groups, something they only hoped to do down the road. All of this from a coffee shop named for the community it brings together and hopefully helps create.
"I think the goal is to teach people how to be neighborly to anyone, that's why we called it neighbors," said Roberts. "Yeah we wanna make a really good latte," agreeing the mission comes first, the coffee comes second. "But at the end of the day, the goal is to help those who had kind of a rough start in life."
Neighbors also roasts their coffee and hopes the future might hold another location.
I reached out to the Missouri Department of Social Services about their Older Youth Program to help with job skills, education, some financial resources, the transition to adulthood and more. That's available to anyone ages 14 - 23 who are or were in Children's Division custody. They told me as of this August, more than 2,600 people are using the program.
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