Mentor for Change

Mentor For Change (MFC) has a proven model for operating a successful barista internship program where youth gain experience in coffee shop operations. For the past three years, MFC has partnered with Spring Cafe to empower youth with paid internships to gain hands-on barista training and develop experience with beverage service, POS systems, and small business operations. MFC has witnessed the impact: youth grow in confidence, skills, and leadership.

MFC will expand its capacity by launching a storefront coffee shop in Boyle Heights to further advance youth workforce equity through reliable employment and mentorship in a supportive environment. This social enterprise will be more than job placement; it will be a launchpad for economic mobility and a space where systems-impacted youth are included, invested in, and rise as leaders.

Most importantly, MFC is co-creating the coffee shop with youth at Los Padrinos so that the space reflects their creativity and hope for their future.

Our goal is to raise $400,000 to build and launch this youth-led social enterprise and sustain its first year of mentorship-based workforce training. With $145,000 already secured, we are building momentum toward opening doors for youth across East LA. Your support will help launch a space where mentorship, job training, and opportunity come together.