Susan's Reflections on Martin Luther King Day

Curt's Executive Director Susan Trieschmann spoke to a group of students at Northwestern University today as part of their MLK programming. Here is what she had to say....

Isabel Wilkerson wrote a book called; The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.  A story about the three routes that were commonly used from 1915 – 1970 by African Americans when leaving the southern states trying, to get to the North.  One of the reasons given for the migration was “they just want to feel the security which other people feel.”  The woman that was quoted said those words when interviewed in Alabama in 1902.  

Ask yourself - Has anything really changed for African Americans, Latinos, basically people of color, since 1902?   Certainly some things have change because of the courage of people like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu or Harriet Tubman but has there been enough change?

Many people would argue that lots of things have changed - Now African Americans can sit anywhere on a bus, they can work wherever they want if they are educated enough to do so, they can live where they want – right?  But is that enough change and are those things all true?  

If you think yes, I would suggest you check the statistics.  All of those things are basic human rights that everyone should have been able to do from the very beginning.  And many of those things are still terribly compromised or not happening at all.

If you think no, than what can you do about it?  What can you do to make everyone in your classroom, your neighborhood, your country “feel the security which other people feel?”

What I chose to do was open a Café to give at-risk young adults the opportunity to build job and life skills not only help them get jobs but also to show the community that youth that have made mistakes can make positive changes in their lives and help to make their community a better place.  

It was not something I had planned to do when I was building a career, it was not something I thought I had the skills to do because 1) I really really don’t like being controversial in any way and I always seem to be fighting for the basic rights of the young people I work with and 2) .  I don’t like speaking in public like this and this is a large part of my job. 

But I kept seeing young men (and women) of color being arrested and sent to prison.  Then after they got out, I would see them on the street, unable to get jobs because no one wanted to hire someone that had been in prison, and our laws don’t make it any easier for ex-prisoners.  

I also noticed that we were putting more African American youth in jail, even though I believed just as many white youth were being stopped by the police – usually for the exact same reason.  I knew something was wrong – and that it wasn’t fair and I also knew I couldn’t tackle the entire problem – but I wanted to do something.  The only problem was - I had no idea what to do.  

So I went out and looked for places that were helping these young men, and women, but I couldn’t find any organization that was working with this group.  I kept hearing that they didn’t think it was worth the time or money.  Most thought it was best to wait until they were older – 26 or 27 – so they all seemed ok keeping them in prison until they got older rather than helping them when they were teenagers.  Just think, if it was any of you (because you are 8 – 18 years old) – would you like to be “thrown away” until you are older just because you made a mistake?  Do you think that’s right?  I didn’t!  

I had never done non-profit work, all I knew was how to run restaurants so that’s what I did – I build what the young people told me they needed to stay out of jail, into what I knew how to do – and opened Curts Cafe.  No clue if it was right or wrong – but it was at least something!  And in 3 years the young people that have worked at Curts Café have shown all those people that they are worth it!  Most are working hard in jobs, paying taxes, and staying out of jail!   Why don’t more people – just do something?  

When MLK was interviewed in 1966 by ‘Meet The Press’ in Chicago he was questioned about a comment a Chicago Police Superintendent made about the Civil Rights Movement.  The Police Superintendent said 

“The Civil Rights tactics have aroused hatred around Chicago’s white residents and are hampering the Negros progress. “   MLK answered, as only he could so eloquently and intelligently, saying “The Civil Rights tactics have not aroused hatred; they have revealed hatred that already existed.  We did not create it; we merely exposed it and brought it to the surface.”

When I thought and reflected on that statement it made me wonder-

• is it hatred 
• or is fear 
• or is it the lack of truth in education
• or is it just plain ignorance?  

Maybe it is the entire bundle together.  The more I live, learn and experience the more I realize that much of what I believed was truth, was truth based on fear and lack of knowledge.  

And I’m going to be honest – most of us don’t even realize we are hurting others by our fear and lack of knowledge.  I didn’t realize I was doing it, but ignorance really is the worst excuse these days so I had to take responsibility for my actions and I always try to do better.

So how can I – doing the work I do – and you – knowing what you know do help make changes in our world?  

I have 5 simple suggestions 

1. Be Aware what Racism and injustice looks and feels like – it doesn’t always jump out at you and make itself really obvious.

Think about the people that live in your own community who are African American, Latinos or people of color.  Think about the fact that unlike me with white skin, a person of color cannot hide when they walk into a room filled with white faces - be sensitive to what they may be feeling.  The news is riddled with “gang members” that all seem to be African American (which they really aren’t) and we constantly see black men shooting black men (yet the majority of the mass murders were done by white men), so be aware that although you are not judging them – others may be.  People who don’t know better form opinions based on what they see in the media.  You may not be able to change everyone’s opinion immediately but you can be aware and sensitive to it.  

1. Educate Yourself – don’t count on anyone else to do it.

You all go to great schools that have a more diverse group of students in each class than I did.  But is your curriculum that way to?  Be aware that still in 2016 we have a very white curriculum and we don’t always represent the strength and courage of our African American brothers and sisters.  You can fight that system – but it will take time.  But immediately – you can educate yourself on what amazing accomplishments people of color have achieved and have done to change the direction of many bad decisions, sometimes its well hidden because most of them do it under the radar without anyone knowing but its worth the time.  There are some of the strongest and most courageous people of color doing amazing things that we just never hear about.  You can take a few hours a week and research and educate yourself so when the time comes – you are ready!

1. Share your Knowledge with Your Friends, Family, Community

So learn your facts and become an expert on what you’re passionate about – for me its keeping kids out of prison, for you it will probably be something very different – but find your passion and go for it.  Speak about what needs to be done to help make social change and even explain that it will make all of us much better people.  You can also speak up when your friends or family show their prejudice, ignorance, and injustice and teach respect, inclusion, intelligence and love.  But teach others, like MLK did.  It doesn’t matter if you’re 8, 18 or 80, if you speak with intelligence people will listen.  If you speak with the eloquence and peacefulness that MLK did – they will listen forever.

  

1. Do Something!

Doing Nothing is probably the worst thing you can do – by doing nothing – you help to keep the cycle going and you help keep our fellow Americans feeling as if they are not treated the same as you are and that you don’t respect and care about your friends and neighbors.

A homeless family when asked what they would like from people – said simply “just look us in the eye and say hello.”  They didn’t ask for money, cloths or jobs.  They asked for respect when we see them on the street, even though they aren’t dressed like us because they were down on their luck.  Everyone of us can do something!

1. Don’t Give Up

 Probably the most important thing is you cannot give up, on your goal or on anyone else, because we have so much to learn from one another and we must make everyone know that their opinion is valued and we are honored to have them as our neighbors, our brothers and our sisters.  

Because you, you are our future, and you have the opportunity to make the changes we desperately need.  You may feel like you don’t have the knowledge, you’re not old enough, you don’t have the time, the expertise, the money – or so many other excuses I used when I really had all those things - but I was really just was scared.  

Are you just scared?  Don’t be, because You are actually a much better generation than mine was because you have the least amount of prejudice than any other generation.  You see beyond color most of the time.  You may not reach a hand over the aisle but you do not avoid people of color like we did when I was young, you do not move if and an African American sits next to you on the bus and you have no problem playing on the same sports team with people of color.  Sounds so simple, but it shows respect and inclusion rather than hatred and superiority.

You are half way there because you came here today and opened yourself up to the learning – and it’s a hard lesson, I know.  I honor your work and your passion to do better and I’m excited about the changes your knowledge will bring for all of us.  

I asked our students what they would like people to think about them and they offered 7 inspiring thoughts I would like to share with you.  They said – “When you see me on the street”…

1. …treat me like one of your own brothers, rather than an enemy
2. …know that you really are just looking in the mirror because I am just like you
3. …know that I could do better if I had the privileges you had, but I’m doing the best I can and I know I may actually be stronger than you are, because of the struggle I have had.
4. …look at me as someone with a great future ahead of him.
5. …help me become a better, more successful man, rather than keeping me down and judging me on things I did not do.
6. …help me to be successful, rather than looking down on me.  Introduce yourself, and give me a hand.
7. …know that I don’t care about what you think about me, but I do care about what you don’t think about me
8. …know that I don’t care about what you think about me, but I do care about what you don’t think about me

I will leave you with this wonderful thought that I have been contemplating all month.

  “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.

Welcome Aboard

Sometimes things come full circle. Just ask Kim Holmes. 

This “Evanston Girl” (ETHS 1982) has joined the Curt’s South team to help provide social service resources, and community connections for our students. Kim has been working with teen mothers for more than 25 years. She started in an interim position at Family Focus running a program called Teen Cuisine. That “temporary” position lasted for 18 years! Now, Kim is excited to be putting her wealth of knowledge of local agencies and resources, as well a passion for empowering teen mothers to take care of themselves and their families, to work at Curt’s South. 

“I want to connect our young women with all of the services, agencies and organizations that Evanston has to offer them,” says Kim. “And, we also want Evanston’s agencies to know about the important work Curt’s South is doing, so we can all work together.”

We Are All Starfish

“While wandering a deserted beach at dawn, stagnant in my work, I saw a man in the distance bending and throwing as he walked the endless stretch toward me. As he came near, I could see that he was throwing starfish, abandoned on the sand by the tide, back into the sea. When he was close enough I asked him why he was working so hard at this strange task. He said that the sun would dry the starfish and they would die. I said to him that I thought he was foolish. There were thousands of starfish on miles and miles of beach. One man alone could never make a difference. He smiled as he picked up the next starfish. Hurling it far into the sea he said, "It makes a difference for this one." I abandoned my writing and spent the morning throwing starfish.”
― Loren Eiseley

Curt's South Officially Opens

The Doors are open at Curt's South and the Neighbors are Thrilled!

Busy First Day at Curt's South

Community Generosity Kicks off Day #1

Our first day started with receiving a $500 grant to Curt’s South from Safer, Stronger Neighborhoods. According to Joey Rodger, Executive Director of Peaceable Cities, " Our initiative supports and encourages all in Evanston who work for peace in our neighborhoods, families and city," she said. "We support Curt’s Cafe and its holistic approach to what it means to find your path. Specifically, this $500 will provide a $250 weekly stipend for a student for two weeks. We encourage others to provide a stipend as a concrete way to support the students working and learning at Curt’s. It’s not just about what can police or the city do, but what can you do so we can all thrive?

Rodger adds, for Information about additional grants we make are available at www.peaceablecities.org.

Yay! Curt's South's First Customers

Carol Borrow and Jim Reardon, who live in the neighborhood are both retired teachers. He goes every monday morning to Curt's on Central so he's very happy to dine at a Cafe serving young women and right nearby where he lives. In fact, he's been anxiously awaiting the arrival of South.  We’ve supported Curt's from the beginning," said Reardon. "We went to the city council meeting long ago. We really like what Susan’s doing."

Healthy Options: Try our Quinoa Egg Breakfast 

In addition to our signature scones and chocolate chip cookies, Curt's South is going to offer a number of healthy options including Quinoa Bowls with eggs for breakfast and Quinoa Bowls with tofu for lunch, kale salad, soups, and  of course our Green Drink and other smoothies.

So Much Happening at Curt's South Already. Stop By Soon!

We Love our Customers!!

Cool people are always stopping in to Curt's.

Meet artist Fran Joy. She's an interesting women who does her work at the intersection of art and social justice. Here are some of her thoughts about her work and about life.

"The purpose behind my work is to show the power, strength, and triumph of the human spirit. As I witness the loss of life and humanity through out the world, I am drawn to those who believe that the power of their faith and the strength of their character are what truly matters and will make a difference in the lives of those they share the planet with. In my own spiritual journey, heavy losses have made each blessing standout as more meaningful and relevant to who I have become. 

In my portraits, I emphasize the eyes—windows into the soul that reveal the impact of their experiences. Some may be powerful icons like Mandela, Obama, or Maya Angelou. Others are simply meant to convey a message that I hope people will stop for a moment to think about. Other works include custom hand painted wall mounts on wood and tribal masks and images on canvas. "

Who is Fran?? She's a local Evanston artist working in oil pastels and acrylics. She currently serves on the Evanston Arts Council and Art and Business Committee. She also sits on the board of the YEA foundation (Young Evanston Artists). She’s currently working on an exhibit to be displayed at Garrett Theological Seminary on Northwestern’s campus for Black history month.

Celebrity Chef Gale Gand Makes Cholocate Majic at Curt's

Sure you may still be stuffed from your Thanksgiving Dinner but that doesn't mean you can't start planning ahead to a fabulous Holiday meal in a couple of weeks.

That's why Celebrity Chef Gale Gand stopped by Curt's Cafe today to demonstrate how to make a yummy peppermint chocolate mousse today for a crowd of Curt's guests. The highlight, of course, was eating the spoils! 

Here's a few things we learned along the way: 

1. Don't melt chocolate chips. They are made to keep their shape and include a bit of paraffin wax, which makes melting them more difficult. Use chocolate bars. Gand recommends Ghiradellli.

2. Heavy cream has more butter fat than whipping cream. Choose heavy cream, unless you're trying to reduce the calories in a recipe. Then whipping cream is okay.

3. When a recipe calls for eggs, the industry standard is large eggs. Not extra large. Don't ruin a recipe by using extra large eggs.

4. Egg whites whip up better at room temperature.

5. Nielsen Massey vanilla extracts and other Nielson Massey flavor extracts are the best in the world--and made right here in Waukegan!

If you weren't able to attend here's Gale's recipe for you to enoy:

Chocolate Peppermint Mousse

by Gale Gand

6 ounces bitter sweet chocolate, chopped (70% if possible)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

In a large bowl over simmering water, melt the chocolate and then remove from the heat to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whip the cream to stiff peaks and refrigerate. Then whip the whites till soft peaks, drizzle in the sugar and continue whipping till glossy and the sugar has dissolved. Add 1/3 of the whites to the cooled chocolate and whisk them in quickly and thoroughly. Add a second third of the whipped whites and fold them in till most of the streaks are gone. Add the final third and continue to fold till a few streaks remain. Then add all the whipped cream and fold it in. Add the extract and fold it in. Pipe into serving glasses and chill.

Makes 12 servings

  

FYI...Gale Gand is the pastry chef and partner at Spritz Burger, with the Hearty Boys and partner and founding executive pastry chef of the renowned one star Michelin restaurant Tru in Chicago, host of Food Network’s “Sweet Dreams”, and author of 8 books, including Gale Gand’s Lunch out earlier this year. Gale has an artisanal root beer company, Gale’s Root Beer, has received an Outstanding Pastry Chef award from The James Beard Foundation, and been inducted into the Chicago Chefs Hall Of Fame. For more information about Gale go to www.galegand.com 

We Can All Be Leaders

Susan was recently asked to speak to a group of women of all ages about Leadership at the Frances Willard Weekend. Here is what she had to say.

When we were asked to speak today I quickly agreed because I had read about Francis and thought she was a creative and effective leader.  When I was asked to speak as a leader myself I was much more reluctant because I have never considered myself a leader.  But as I learned more about Francis I learned that in fact I was a leader, just a different kind of leader. I realized that life is like a race with a great deal of hurdles, some twists and turns and some long stretches that can feel good or harness pain. Some of us lead in the front of the race and some of us lead by pulling up the rear but I have learned that all the leaders participating in the race are doing one thing.  They are using the gifts they were given to run the race the very best way they can!

My race began when I was at 8 years old selling eggs door to door with my Mom after our Dad died, to waitressing full time at 13, opening my own food service company at 25 with two partners that I loved and then going to college at 48 years old after the loss of one of my business partners, and now here celebrating more than two years as founder of Curts Café.  A race I couldn’t have mapped out early in life, one that had many hurdles and twists and turns but one that always required me to be myself, do the best I could, and enjoy the race I was on.

Many think of me as a leader in my race, and I am very honored by that, but I am just doing what I have spent my lifetime training for.  I took a leap of faith, and perhaps was pushed a little by the voices of very desperate young adults that needed help and didn’t know who to turn to, by opening a Café, one that few thought would work and even more thought it wasn’t worth the effort.  I had good business sense and a big heart but I was shy and preferred to be in the background – I have recently learned its called leading from the rear!  It was a bold step for me but honestly I was supported all along the route – just as Francis was – by a strong determined Mother who allowed me, as Mrs. Willard told Francis to “grow as a tree grows, naturally and unhindered” so that we could become the best “us”. 

My Mom, like Francis’s Mom, did not do anything to make social change, did not open a non-profit or start a women’s movement, or even run a committee meeting for that matter.  She was not an athlete or a politician, her gift and form of leadership was to be a Mother and she demonstrated that and did an amazing job sharing it.  In my eyes our Mothers are one of the best kind of leaders.  They lit flames under Francis and under me and they stoked the fire of our spirits and our possibilities, as Francis said “allowing her to simply be herself”.

You see, I believe we are all leaders – or we all have the capacity to be.  It will look, feel and be recognized in different ways but if we do as Francis showed us, if we are true to ourselves and the gifts we hold we will all be leaders in our own special ways.  I know so many women that are leaders by participating in PTA meetings or cheering their children on at sporting events, and I know women who run multimillion dollar companies and powerful non-profits – all of them are leaders in their own way, doing the best they can, using and sharing their unique gifts. 

In a wonderful book that Francis wrote in 1878 called “How To Win: A Book For Girls: she wrote, “We are human spirit lamps, whose rays should be directed and intensified by the blow pipe of an unceasing purpose.” 

So I challenge you to find your gift and purpose, hold it in your hand and see where the light will lead you.  Be an amazing mother, a special friend, a cherished child, or be an Olympic runner, a business owner, or a social activist. If you do that one simple thing you were meant to do you will be a leader of your own destiny and a leader in our community – and you and all of us will benefit from the light from your human spirit lamp. 

Also in that book Francis said – which I believe is more timely now than ever:

“I was a daring sort of girl; you are the sort of girls who dare, I had aspirations; you have opportunity."                 

I hope you take time to find your opportunity and personal gift and dare to unwrap it and share it with all of us.  I’ll be cheering you on and will meet you at the finish line.

Stopping to Smell the Flowers

Curt's has a new Chef named "Q" who loves gardening and fresh food. She has shared this love with our students by regularly taking them out back where we are lucky enough to have an urban garden that was planted by the wonderful Yellow Tractor Project. Tomatoes and peppers and herbs and  edible flowers all at Q's fingertips as she creates our daily lunch specials and platters of delicious food for catering.

Recently, while preparing trays for a catering order she took our student Lorenzo out to the garden to pick a few flowers to use as colorful accents to compliment the summer fruit tray. "I don't want to pick no flowers..." Lorenzo said at first, but he went along, bent down over the flower pots and gathered a few edible yellow and orange nasturtium.

Today, while Q was busy in the kitchen working on more catering trays she noticed Lorenzo slipping out the back door. Without him saying a word she instantly knew what he was doing. She walked to the door and opened it quietly. She caught Lorenzo in the act -- sweetly taking a sniff of  a handful of the delicate flowers he just picked.

Q noticed the poinency of those little flowers held in Lorenzo's big hands at the end of his tatoo-covered arms ...and the fact that Lorenzo had taken the initiative to use the flowers to make our catering...and the world....more beautiful.

Coffee in the mugs & Art on the Walls

(photo or left by Anthony Parker, and photo on right by Doug Haight)

If the walls at Curt’s Café could talk . . . but wait: they can, and they do. Since the café opened a little more than two years ago, nearly 30 exhibits by local and regional photographers have been telling tales of nature, animals, cityscapes and national heroes, to name just a few subjects.

Howard Frank of Skokie has shown his landscapes and nature images twice at Curt’s. That’s allowed, and besides, he’s the curator at the friendly coffeehouse. Frank, the man behind Howie’s Images (howiesimages.com) uses the latest digital techniques on familiar scenes to give his photos either a surreal or painterly look.

Anthony Parker, whose striking photos of Muhammad Ali and JFK currently grace the walls at Curt’s, also takes artistic license with his images. The Evanston resident, who also teaches art and is a certified art therapist, sketches famous photos, then does an overlay using pastel colored pencils and charcoal to create images with a heightened reality – still lifes with life, if you will. Other images feature gray tones on black paper, or faces partially outlined in vivid color that give the works geometric zing. Look for more of Parker’s work in his one-man show at Curt’s in the fall.

The “living room” – the large, second room at Curt’s -- comes alive with vibrantly hued images of Cuba, taken by Evanston photographer Doug Haight, who traveled with a photography group to the island that was off-limits to Americans until recently.

Haight captures Cuba’s “lost in time” aspect – vintage cars, guys playing dominoes in the street, a driver pedaling a bike taxi. “Cubans tend to live a lot of their lives in the streets,” Haight says. “There’s a tremendous sense of community."

All the artwork at Curt’s is for sale, with a percentage going to the not-for-profit coffeehouse. They’re reasonably priced, says Howard Frank, and they appeal to Curt’s eclectic clientele. “Something for everyone,” he says.

Guest Blog from Volunteer Extraordinaire Jeff Mackevich

On my first day working as a volunteer at Curt’s Café, a non-profit training program for at-risk youth, I washed dishes for almost four hours.  I was hooked. 

The dish sink at Curt's is the nerve center of the Cafe. It's where I connected with the students. Everyone opens up and talks about anything and everything while they do the dishes. Plus the sink is between the kitchen and dining room so things are popping all around you the whole time. Needless to say it was a lot different than my job where I sit at a desk basically figuring out math and logic problems 24/7.

I consider myself to be very fortunate. I have been a financial advisor for over thirty years, and took advantage of an opportunity to take a six-month sabbatical. This is a common practice of educators and clergy, but rare for professionals. I'm a logical guy so before I started my sabbatical, I made two lists of activities to consider. The first was of things I had been doing my whole life that I wanted to do more of --competitive tennis, jazz saxophone performing and recording, working out, and anything else with my wife and three daughters.

The second list was made up of new things I wanted to add to my life. Other than reading more novels, taking Internet college courses, and sleeping more, I decided to volunteer somewhere to help minority youths. I got lucky. I wandered into my neighborhood's Curt's Cafe during my first week off, and the very next day I was working in the middle of the organized chaos of a restaurant, catering service, and social service agency.

I started to get to know the staff, students, and other volunteers, and they immediately accepted me into their community, which was different from anything I had ever experienced. For every job I did at the café I had a student partner in order to have as many “teachable moments” as possible. We could open up to each other while repairing a door, doing a catering delivery or just washing those dishes.

I quickly learned that Curt's is fueled by volunteers and community support. Susan Trieschmann, the founder and Executive Director, opened Curt’s (Cultivating Unique Restaurant Training) two years ago with her own hard work, experience, and money. She and her small staff and more than 25 volunteers train students in culinary technique, high school academics to pass the GED, life skills, and job readiness. Thirty-five youths have completed the program so far and all but a few are working at jobs around Evanston at places like Starbucks, Office Depot, Edzo's, and Northwestern University.

One of the things that was great about my role as volunteer is that my work at Curt’s changed every day. Susan would prepare lists of assignments for me. The students would see me jump into projects without being asked; especially if it meant helping someone else. This behavior becomes infectious. My tasks included washing dishes, food preparation, cooking, baking, repairing everything in sight, and packaging and delivering large catering orders. 

After my first month, it became apparent to me that Curt’s needed some financial controls and strategies. Together Susan and I computerized the revenues and accounts payable, installed a modern point of sale terminal, Streamlined food orders, eliminated bank fees, and reviewed the insurances.

There has been tremendous improvement in a short period of time, but we still have work to do in marketing, fundraising events, and grant writing.

The survival of any enterprise depends on the efforts of its people and its financial resources. Nonprofits need donations of peoples’ time and money, and Curt’s is no exception. The costs of opening and operating a restaurant are very high. Fixed costs including rent, utilities, salaries, and insurances are added to variable costs of daily food deliveries, ingredients, and packaging.  Curt’s also pays a daily student stipend and there is a separate fund to help students with other needs (like emergency housing, a new suit for an interview, or eyeglasses).

The most important characters in this story are the kids. They start by being welcomed into a loving and supportive environment. Of course they are expected to get up to speed with the program quickly. Rules are enforced like showing up on time ready to work and no distractions (like cell phones). Most of them start with no confidence and low self-esteem. They don’t speak clearly or make eye contact.

Some of these kids have had a very rough start. The nature of their crime is not important. The students realizes that they have been given a second chance, and it could be lost if they revert to old behaviors.

The most exciting part of Curt’s is watching each student grow in their confidence and abilities over the three months they are in the program. They can perform and manage every aspect of the café and have more poise and social skills. All of this effort is in preparation for job interviews. Hats off to all of the local employers who hire Curt’s’ kids fully aware of their criminal records.  A few weeks ago three students graduated from the program and got great jobs (Chef, construction, counter service, and a security guard). 

“Teaching moments” work both ways. I taught Curt’s kids about taking initiative, customer service, repairing anything, jazz, making bank deposits, basic accounting, and the stock market.They taught me about the harshness of their lives, frustration and anger, technology, rap, and more than I wanted to know about tattoos.

As a volunteer it was easy to see the need for support and untapped potential in our students, and understand why Susan was compelled to open Curt's Cafe. Her background is a very long and successful career in catering, first at the Pump Room in Chicago, and then the prestigious “Food for Thought” catering company. Susan was also one of the founders of Restorative Justice Evanston, a non-profit that “works with youth and community on peaceful dialogue around harm caused, celebrations, and conflicts.”

She had seen a pattern in kids getting arrested because they had nothing better to do. They had few resources and limited options available to them. After any confinement they had very little chance of landing a (entry level) job. Many of these kids end up living on the streets and return to destructive habits. Most of those released (82%) are back in the court system within a year.

This result is bad for everybody. It is more expensive for a taxpayer to incarcerate a youth than to send him or her to a private university. Susan explains “For our sake and theirs’ it makes sense to direct these young people toward a secure and productive future, where they can contribute to their community instead of undermining it. These young people all identify one essential thing that would help them turn their lives around: a job.”

That's where Curt's Cafe can help. I know because I've seen how it works and even though I an headed back to my day job and won't be doing dishes at Curt's I will stay connected to the organization. I'm leaving the sink but I'm joining the Board.

Giving Mom the Morning Off

Almost every Saturday morning since Curt's Cafe opened, Mike from the neighborhood, and his three over-the-top cute kids have been coming to the Cafe -- usually in their pajamas -- for breakfast!

Today, the week before Christmas, there is a special Daddy and Me breakfast., so Owen, 7, Riley, 4 and little Reese, who is 2 but insists she is 3 1/2, came in for a feast of chocolate chip pancakes, while their dad drank his Milky Way Latte. Every other week, the kids' standard fare is Coco Puffs, and there is a big box of the sweet stuff waiting behind the counter for them every time come in.

"We come to Curt's because it's not just kid friendly, it's everything friendly," says Mike. "We wake up on Saturdays and everyone just wants to go to Curt's!

A moment in the life of Susan our Executive Director

"I got a call at 11 p.m. last week from one of our students who asked if I could find some blankets for him. He is 20 years old and recently homeless – he said he had a bad fight with a sister and his mother had to “put him out” (sounds like what you do to a dog for a few hours, not a young man…but that is the terminology he used). When I asked how many he needed he said 8. I tried to go back to sleep but had to wonder why 8 young adults needed blankets to get trough the night.

At Curt’s Café we teach at-risk young adults aged 15 to 24 life and job skills and then place them in jobs and continue to mentor them. This summer we had 9 students and 6 were homeless. These were all young men, with no place to lay their heads, with little education, no jobs and no money. We are only able to provide two meals a day for them and 8 hours of training. But they have to survive the other 16 hours on the streets, and our gangs are clearly the ones opening their doors to them and keeping them safe and warm.

In Evanston we have adult homeless shelters and a few programs for homeless young adults, but the shelters specifically for young adults have long waiting lists. So what do they do at night when it's 32 degrees outside? Where do they go if they can’t afford a bus or train pass to run the rails all night and stay warm?

The volunteers at the Café found the student eight blankets within an hour and this morning at 6:30 a.m. I received a text from our student saying, “Thanks for everything."

8 blankets, that's easy. But they need so much more!"

It's All About The Soup!

We thought we had seen Justin smile before. 

He's been at Curt's for about a month now and he's posed for dozens of pictures for our Facebook page. He has even been interviewed by WGN News for a story they did on the Cafe. He was shown learning to cook up an omelet and then spoke directly into the camera and said that from the very first day he walked into Curt's it felt like home.

But yesterday we saw a look come across Justin's face that was a beautiful mixture of pride and joy during an exchange with a customer that caught Justin off guard. 

But let's back up. A few hours before Justin found himself standing at one of our tables talking to a lady eating a bowl of cream of broccoli soup, Justin was back in the kitchen next to a hot stove cooking up breakfast wraps, tuscan sandwiches and piping hot bowls of oatmeal.

We usually have a chef on hand to train our students, or Susan our Executive Director stands over the students' shoulder while they chop vegetables, make sandwiches and cook bacon. But on this morning the chef couldn't make it in, and Susan had her hands full preparing a big catering order that needed to get out the door. 

So Justin was our cook. He was manning the stove all by himself and responsible for preparing all the hot food for the Cafe. He had been working up to this point, spending many shifts working side by side with the cook. But today he was on his own, and all morning he was focused and efficient in his new position. 

But there's more to it. Another one of the cook's responsibilities was to prepare a soup for lunch, and Justin took this on as well. He made his own version of a cream-filled soup, chocked-full of vegetables and around noon he started to ladle out bowls of his creation as the orders came pouring in.

One of his bowls was delivered to a table of two gals busy chatting away. A few minutes later when one of our volunteers approached the table to see if the women needed anything else, she asked....

"So how is the soup?"

The customer's response was so immediate and so positive, it demanded grabbing Justin away from the kitchen for just a moment so he could hear the words coming out of her mouth. Justin approached the table awkwardly, and tentatively asked about the soup. And here's what that lady said, as she looked directly into Justin's eyes.

"This is the best bowl of soup I have ever had."

That's when Justin's mouth turned into a full on smile, a toothy grin with a genuine look of pride and joy, and a sense of accomplishment for a job well done!