We would like to extend a warm congratulations to one of our Members, Tiffany! She is the first graduate of our Barista Training Program (BTP) to be hired by a local employer, Artisans Books & Coffee at 1802 Hewitt Ave. Tiffany was hired by Artisans in early September after participating in the program from March to June 2024. Going through the program 1 day a week, she learned every aspect of running a coffee stand under the guidance of Lexi, our BTP instructor.
She went from not knowing what a Doppio is (two shots of coffee) to becoming a creator behind the counter, developing several of our VERY popular daily special drinks. Tiffany was an excellent and very motivated student and enjoyed the program so much that upon graduation she didn’t want to stop. You can even find Tiffany filling in for Lexi behind the counter from time to time.
An Everett native, Tiffany has 11 months of recovery at the time of this writing. She’s been a Member of the Café since January 2024, after she heard about the Café from Lexi while staying at Oxford House. After graduating IOP and beginning her recovery journey, Tiffany found that during recovery ‘You lose your people’ and needed a whole new support system. Becoming a Café Member and starting the BTP, she’s found a supportive family, and being behind the coffee counter has given her a fuller interaction with other Members. When the Artisans position came open, Tiffany thought, “Books and coffee, that sounds kind of cool!”
Lexi is busy setting the stage for BTP graduates like Tiffany to apply for jobs by building relationships with local coffee shops and talking about the BTP and the Café. In the case of Artisans, Lexi spoke to owner Judy about the barista program at Geekfest. Judy later reached out when a position came open, and Tiffany applied and got the job.
The end goal of the Barista Training Program is getting Members involved, getting them volunteering, teaching them a new skill. Some of our Members haven’t had a job in 10 years and getting them more recent experience makes a world of difference when they’re trying to re-enter the workforce, putting them in a position to make money and support themselves. We hope to have more Tiffany’s in the future, allowing them to enter society as a productive and creative individual.
If you know any area coffee shops that might be interested in learning about our Barista Training Program, reach out to us. We’re always looking to make new connections!!
