Wildflyer Coffee is giving young people a paycheck and the training they need to turn their lives around.
MINNEAPOLIS — Opening a coffee shop during both a global pandemic and a statewide pause of indoor dining is less than ideal, but even a slow opening week at Wildflyer Coffee is a blessing for the baristas.
“Four years prior to this, I was homeless,” said Val McKenzie, who recently started working at the new shop in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis. “Now I’ve got my own apartment. It’s great. I love it.”
McKenzie isn’t working at Wildflyer in spite her personal challenges, she is there because of them. Wildflyer is more than just a coffee shop, it’s a non-profit, social enterprise.
“We create employment for youth, 16-24…
