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The La La Land Kind Cafe
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We need to care and be kind to one another. I was blown away when I learned how America has failed older kids in the foster care system. Once foster kids reach the age of 18, they "age out". How can we possibly allow the most vulnerable kids---those without parents---to be released into the world with no help? Many of them have nowhere to go or live. A shocking number become homeless, turn to drugs or alcohol, or even prostitution. I ran a fairly successful restaurant at a young age, but I found that having a packed restaurant and making money wasn't making me happy. I wanted to find purpose in my life so I started volunteering with a number of organizations. That’s when I learned about the plight of older foster kids. I felt led to do something. Initially, I started the We Are One project, where we tried to provide everything these kids would need to become self-sustaining adults: housing, mentorship, job placement and therapy. But it didn't work because the kids couldn't get or keep a job. Without a job, their life deteriorated. Employers didn't want to hire kids without experience, and they did not have the patience to teach the kids the skills they needed. If no one was going to hire these kids, we set out to do it ourselves. So I started The La La Land Kind Cafe... 
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