At age 15, the future was not looking bright for Nashville’s Cameron Carver: his stepfather recently passed; his grandmother on life-sustaining oxygen; his mother unable to pay the electricity bill. His heart set in the right place, but his mind bent on a bad decision, Cameron took it upon himself to keep the lights on (and the oxygen flowing), but soon found himself on the wrong side of the law, held in juvenile detention. All too often, this would be the opening setup to a deeply depressing story.
But this is not a depressing story; this is the Café Momentum story. Founded in Dallas seven years ago by Chef Chad Houser who had an epiphany while teaching teens to make ice cream at the juvenile detention center. Generating an impressive track record of success, Café Momentum is a fine dining, farm-to-table, nonprofit restaurant model that provides life skills, professional development, and a sense of purpose to troubled youth. The model provides a 12-month, post-release internship to young men and women leaving juvenile facilities, providing on-the-job training in all aspects of the restaurant industry along with counseling and life skills coaching. Now expanding to Nashville, Café Momentum is currently searching for an appropriate venue with an aim to open in 2022.
“I have learned that when you change the way we look at youth, the youth have a way of changing,” says Rokeisha Bryant, executive director of Café Momentum Nashville. “Youth in our programs will gain new skills, connections, and opportunities that will empower them to create positive impacts in their own lives. Ultimately, I see Café Momentum Nashville creating a paradigm shift in juvenile justice that will create ripples across the state. As we open up more locations, it will impact the nation's outlook on what's possible.”
But while the model is effective, it still takes a village. Café Momentum has kicked off in Nashville with events at Saint Stephen in Germantown where chef RJ Cooper has donated his time, talent, staff, and food. To find out how you can help, visit cafemomentum.org/nashville and consider joining the Momentum Society with 3 levels of giving and benefits to experiencing the restaurant. You can also follow them on Instagram @cafemomentum.nsh.
As for Cameron, now 18, he has certainly picked up momentum himself. “I’m stepping into a managing position,” he says proudly, speaking of the Nashville restaurant where he now works. “And, in 5 to 10 years, I want to have multiple restaurants where all my employees are excited to show up each day to have a good day!”
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