Planned Coffee Shop Would Give At-Risk Women Chance For New Lives

By Kelly Werthmann

DENVER (CBS4) – A new coffee emporium could shortly be opening a doors in Denver that will also open doors to new opportunities for women in need.

It all began when Kristen Lanning altered to India, a outing that perpetually altered her life.

“While we was vital there we was operative for a NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) that privately rescues minors who are entrance out of a sex trade,” Lanning told CBS4.

Kristen Lanning (credit: CBS)

Kristen Lanning (credit: CBS)

Her tour fast incited into a goal to change a lives of others.

“One of a things that we saw there was that these women only indispensable a good job,” she said, “If we can get these women into a good pursuit afterwards they’re substantially not going to be targeted for trafficking.”

(credit: Kristen Lanning)

(credit: Kristen Lanning)

That’s how Kristen got a thought to start a coffee shop, that would occupy exposed women while also energizing their future. It’s a judgment she and her husband, Mark, are now bringing to Denver with 8th Day Coffee.

“The 8th Day unequivocally symbolizes a thought of a new life,” Kristen said.

The integrate hopes to move new life to a aged Rooster Moon coffee emporium on Bannock Street that sealed a doors for good final summer.

(credit: Kristen Lanning)

(credit: Kristen Lanning)

Food equipment would be done in residence with locally-sourced coffee from Kaladi Coffee Roasters. Then, by 2018, 8th Day Coffee would start employing at-risk women.

“For a initial year in business, since we are a business and a nonprofit, we’re going to occupy seasoned baristas to unequivocally get a patron base, programs and other things down,” Mark told CBS4’s Kelly Werthmann. “So summer of 2018 is when we’d start a initial conspirator of women that we would hire. Our initial year fellows would only concentration on training a qualification and afterwards a second year fellows would concentration on change lead, government skills, removing their certifications, all a things other employers would adore to see them have.”

Kristen and Mark Lanning (credit: CBS)

CBS4’s Kelly Werthmann interviews Kristen and Mark Lanning (credit: CBS)

Some of a initial women hired could be a teenage mothers Mark works with during a internal school.

“We’ve seen that they have unequivocally understanding services there, though afterwards once they graduate, they infrequently tend to onslaught though a wraparound services,” he said. “So we wish to yield a overpass for a moms that graduate, or women that connoisseur programs from shelters, and have a trauma-informed business that unequivocally knows about their situations and can unequivocally support to them to build a overpass to a workforce out there.”

Lease negotiations are still in a works, though Mark and Kristen are assured they’ll be creation coffee and changing a lives of many really soon.

Kristen and Mark Lanning (credit: CBS)

Kristen and Mark Lanning (credit: CBS)

“To be means to give them a place in a village where they can flower and be upheld is so important,” Kristen said.

8th Day Coffee is holding a fundraising eventuality on Jan. 28 during their intensity location, 955 Bannock Street. For tickets, revisit coffeeforfreedom.eventbrite.com.

Kelly Werthmann assimilated a CBS4 group in 2012 as a morning reporter, covering inhabitant stories like a Aurora Theater Shooting and harmful Colorado wildfires. She now anchors CBS4 Weekend Morning News and reports during a week. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.