Displaying items by tag: reentry

It's not your ordinary location for a local cafe. A look through the window on the top floor of the Front Porch Cafe on Grant Street -- and you'll find it's surrounding neighbors: the county jail, a correctional facility, and a rehabilitation center.

But when you take a closer look. It's clear to see the cafe's mission is to welcome people of all backgrounds to share a meal, connect and transform a life.

At this cafe, it's more than just about good food.

"The Front Porch Cafe is South Akron's hub for community connections. We do recovery meetings here, reentry meetings, and we also run a full fledge community cafe," said South Street Ministries executive director Joe Tucker. "We wanted a place for neighbors and people from a variety of backgrounds to come together."

When South Street Ministries launched the Front Porch Cafe back in 2011, they had a vision of creating jobs and training the unemployed and ex-offenders in the Akron area. While it's still part of their mission, the focus has transitioned into offering a place to create connections within the community, with a helping hand extended.