What to Know
- Dallas' CitySquare Cafe employs several people who have been either homeless or housing insecure.
- Everyone who works at the cafe is either a student or graduate of CitySquare's free six-week food service and hospitality program.
- Students in the program get help with transitional housing, food, clothing, if they need it, and job placement.
CitySquare Cafe in South Dallas offers its customers breakfast and lunch, and its employee hope.
"You kinda get discouraged after awhile," said cashier Samantha Brown. "You get so many doors closed in your face, so it helped coming here and learning something new."
Everyone who works at the cafe is either a student or graduate of CitySquare's free six-week food service and hospitality program. Most of them have something else in common.
"Anything is better than sleeping in your car," explained Brown, a single mother of four who was homeless and jobless a couple of years before she started her paid internship at CitySquare Cafe.
"I've been homeless, so I know how it feels to sleep on the back of a vacant house," head chef Sonya Dorsey said.
Dorsey pulled herself out of homelessness to own her own catering business. She said she felt God led her to help others.
"If I give them a skill, then I know they can go out and work anywhere," Dorsey said.
Students in the program get help with transitional housing, food, clothing, if they need it, and job placement. They also get a new sense of confidence and purpose.
"It's OK to be homeless," said pastry chef Brandy Dixon, as she wiped away tears. "I'm so thankful for this lady. She didn't have to give me a chance, 'cause I have nothing, and she gave me an opportunity."
