A program by Anacua Collective

Brewed for Success

Paid workforce training for young adults in extended foster care — with schedules built around their lives, not against them.

Why this program exists

The system doesn’t pause for a shift

Our Executive Director spent nearly a decade working in child welfare, watching young adults in foster care lose jobs — not because they weren’t capable, but because their employers treated court hearings, caseworker visits, therapy, and family appointments as inconveniences.

Those responsibilities don’t disappear because a workplace wants them to. Brewed for Success was built to change that — to give young adults real-world work experience and the tools to balance work and personal life before they age out of the system.

“Court hearings and therapy appointments don’t disappear because a workplace wants them to.”

The program

Real work. Real pay. Real flexibility.

Anacua provides paid employment and workforce training for young adults ages 18–21 in extended foster care, with schedules that accommodate their responsibilities and a livable wage.

Who it’s for

Young adults ages 18–21 currently in extended foster care.

Compensation

Paid, part-time employment at a livable wage.

Scheduling

Shifts built around court dates, caseworker visits, therapy, and family appointments — never penalized for having them.

Duration

Participants move through a 12-month program, with support from full-time staff who train, mentor, and advocate for them.

What you’ll learn

More than coffee

Training goes well beyond the coffee bar. Participants build a broad foundation for long-term employment and community leadership.

Coffee & hospitality

Barista skills, customer service, food safety, and café operations.

Community organizing

Grassroots outreach, coalition building, and advocacy fundamentals.

Mutual aid

Hands-on experience running mutual aid programs and community resource networks.

Event planning

End-to-end event coordination, from community gatherings to fundraisers.

Nonprofit operations

How nonprofits are run — budgeting, communications, and program management.

Grassroots programming

Designing and delivering programs that serve the community directly.

A bridge to long-term employment

As participants move through the program, Anacua works to build partnerships with other coffee shops, nonprofits, and local businesses — bridging participants into lasting careers in partnership with existing programs for foster youth.

Support the program

Donations put people to work

Every donation directly funds the wages of young adults in the program and the full-time staff who train, mentor, and support them. There’s no overhead mystery here — your contribution pays people.

Donate or learn more

Get involved

Interested in the program?

Whether you’re a young adult who wants to apply, an organization looking to partner, or someone who wants to support the work — we’d love to hear from you.

Contact us