Amanda Mann, 22, takes a break from work. Mann has worked at Hope Café for almost two years.
Amanda Mann, 22, is a high school dropout. She is also the single mother of a three-year-old boy, Jullian. But rather than sponge off of relatives or live on the streets, Mann decided to take action so that she could provide a better life for Jullian.
“It was hard to ask for help,” Mann said. “I had to swallow my pride a little bit, but I did it.”
Mann had to apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a federal cash assistance program. The state requires that TANF recipients actively seek employment or do volunteer work. So, Mann turned to the Women and Children’s Center of the Sierra (WACCS), a non-profit corporation that aims to empower women whose lives are entrenched in cycles of poverty, abuse, or crisis. The center provided a volunteer work experience through its business, Dragonflies Café and Gift Shop. But Mann got more than a job opportunity. She got life training.
“The program has given me a lot of skills,” Mann said. “I wasn’t a good people person before and now I deal with different people every day.”
Hope Café, located at 555 S. Virginia St., Reno, Nev.
Last September, Dragonflies relocated and opened under the new name Hope Café. The business is owned and managed by WACCS. Local welfare agencies often refer women to WACCS because of the unique work opportunity the center and café provide. Although the women volunteer their time, the café gives them a chance to work in a real-world environment.
WACCS Executive Director Kate High says the work experience is a critical component of the center’s holistic program.
Kate High, executive director for the Women and Children's Center of the Sierra, puts up a poster at the center's office.
“We’re talking about building people up from the absolute ground up,” High said. “We’re talking about people who’ve never been built up in large part.
“They’re used to being invisible and we need to teach people that they’re not invisible. We need to help them learn that they have value and they have worth and they’re capable of doing these things.”
High says that Hope Café teaches women life and employability skills. She says many of the women who come to WACCS have never been able to hold down a job before and that they are “holding on to their position in life by their fingernails.” High says that through the program not only do these women learn how to get a job; they learn how to keep one.
Tracey Connolly manages Hope Café. Connolly used to work for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and other non-profits as well as a catering business before joining Hope Café last September. She says that the program volunteers are typically single moms on welfare that want to escape the cycle of poverty. The women are in the program about 18 months, Connolly says, because change takes time. She says it’s not just about working; it’s about transforming a lifestyle.
Amanda Mann cleans a table after a small lunch rush on Tuesday, April 19, 2011.
Amanda Mann was one of those welfare moms. She spent 18 months volunteering her time at Hope Café. This past December Mann was promoted to assistant manager, a paid part-time position. Aside from Connolly, Mann is the only paid café employee, so the promotion is quite an accomplishment. Now Mann, who is close to getting her GED, wants to go to college.
“That’s one of our big pushes,” Connolly said. “If they don’t have their GED, we provide classes so they can complete their GEDs, and then move on to further education, whether that looks like a trade school or a TMCC or UNR or whatever. We feel like for them to be truly independent and sustainable and away from public assistance that they need to further their education.
“It’s not so much about the food, it’s about the team, getting them to the next level.”
But the food is also great, according to regular Hope Café customer Bobbi Lazzarone.
Hope Café manager Tracey Connolly rings an order at the cash register while customers Bobbi Lazzarone and friend enjoy lunch.
“It’s excellent homemade food without all the preservatives in a very relaxing atmosphere at a reasonable price, supporting a really worthwhile non-profit,” Lazzarone said.
Lazzarone says she likes supporting the café because the program is teaching women to be productive. She believes Hope Café is truly lending a helping hand to people because it encourages them to take care of themselves.
Amanda Mann has learned to take care of herself. She still gets food stamps but no longer receives cash assistance. Though she still struggles a little financially, Mann feels she is moving in a positive direction and can be a successful role model for Jullian.
“I want him to know anything is possible if you just try hard enough, so he can succeed in life. Graduate. Go to college. Be a good kid.”
The women of Hope Café discuss what they need to do to build business.
Hope Café worker Tammy Hill rings an order at the cash register.