Café Momentum

06/05/2026

A record speaks first. A background check answers questions no one asked you directly.
This month, our Ambassador Tristyn writes about economic opportunity, what belonging really means for justice-involved youth and why access changes everything. Because when we listen to young people, perspectives shift and so do futures.

Read the full newsletter: https://cafemomentum.org/news/ignite-newsletter-2026-june/

05/27/2026

05/26/2026

Rapper, actor and activist Killer Mike met with our CEO Chad Houser to talk about what Café Momentum is really doing and why it matters.

Here's what he had to say. 👇

05/21/2026

What does resiliency really look like? Growing through it, not just going through it.
Too many justice-involved young people face the hardest moments of their lives without a support system in place. Café Momentum shows up for them.

Watch the Building Momentum film and meet the interns who inspire us every day.👇✨

https://www.buildingmomentumfilm.com/watch

05/20/2026

More momentum.
For over a decade, Café Momentum has been more than a restaurant — it's been proof that when you invest in justice-involved youth, they rise.

We're proud to be featured in Culturemap Dallas, with a closer look at the people, the data and the dream behind our new East Dallas flagship.

Read the full story: https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/cafe-momentum-flagship-east-dallas/

05/14/2026

What does real support look like in a work environment?

We asked our Momentum Ambassadors, and their answers say everything: showing up when it matters most, being genuine, having someone's back, pushing people toward their potential.

This is what Café Momentum is built on.

Learn more about our work: https://cafemomentum.org/momentum-ambassadors/

05/08/2026

Mental health and the juvenile justice system don't often show up in the same conversation. But they should.

This month's IGNITE, written by our Ambassador Tristyn, makes the case for why: through news, lived experience, and an unwavering belief that justice-involved youth deserve more than a system that processes them without seeing them.
Because when we listen to young people, perspectives shift and so do futures.

Read the full newsletter: https://cafemomentum.org/news/ignite-newsletter-2026-may/

04/30/2026

For Adela, Café Momentum wasn't a second chance. It was the first.
Swipe to hear her story and to meet the version of herself she built here: confident, skilled, living on her own, and just getting started.

Nearly 1,700 young people have lived what Adela lived. Not because they needed another shot, but because they finally had a place that believed in them.

Today is the last day of Second Chance Month. As this month closes, we're asking you to be part of what comes next. Your gift supports the program that gave Adela and young people like her their first real chance.

Donate today: https://cafemomentum.org/secondchance/

04/27/2026

This is what a second chance conversation looks like.
Our Momentum Ambassadors sat down with Rod Johnson, co-founder of BLK & Bold to talk about what employers get wrong and what getting it right actually looks like.

"Look beyond the record. Look at the human." — Rod Johnson

Blk & Bold donates 5% of their gross profits to youth-serving organizations. They're proof that businesses can lead with purpose and profit. And we're proud to have them as a Second ChanceMonth partner! 🤝

Learn how you can support our mission: https://cafemomentum.org/secondchance/

04/23/2026

This is James: graduate, Momentum Ambassador, business owner.
He showed up for himself and for every young person who comes after him.

This Second Chance Month, give to the program that makes stories like his possible.

Learn more: https://cafemomentum.org/secondchance/