INDIANAPOLIS — A popular Indianapolis coffee shop is undergoing a big change, and it’s all to help young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

“This might be the best one I have made today,” 23-year old Xavier Walker said.

Xavier Walker just started working at Neidhammer Coffee Co. in Indianapolis.

He is one of several young adults working here as part of a local nonprofit’s new venture.

“It’s a long story how we arrived here,” Hascall Shaffer, the Director of Workforce Development at 91 Place, said. “The [CEO] was awarded a grant to open up a coffee shop for our workforce development program for youth experiencing homelessness.”

Hascall Shaffer works with youth every day at 91 Place, a transitional housing program on Indy’s near-east side. The nonprofit purchased Neidhammer Coffee Co. earlier this spring.

The goal in all of this is to hire young adults from the program, get them involved in the workforce, and show them how to be reliable employees.

“It’s not a matter of them getting a job, but keeping a job and actually enjoying the job,” Shaffer said. “So far we have seen a lot of success with the youth actually enjoying working here and having a good time.”

And here, it’s not just about making coffee every day. It’s about learning life skills. The type of skills they can take with them into a successful career someday!

And although employees like Xavier Walker are just getting started. He says he will take these skills with him through the rest of his life.

Neidhammer Coffee Co. has seen great success recently and is now fully staffed. You can visit the coffee shop 2104 East Washington street, Indianapolis.