Brittany’s parents split ways when she was in the 1st grade. After that the only constant in life was not knowing where they would sleep or find their next meal. Remembering those years, Brittany said, “We didn’t eat much.” Not-so-surprisingly what first drew Brittany to The Coffee Oasis was hearing that we serve meals throughout the week. For about 2 years that was all The Coffee Oasis meant to her—free food. “Like most kids my age,“ Brittany recalls, “I didn’t see the big picture.”

All that changed one day when she heard about HOPE INC, the job training program at The Coffee Oasis. She had heard before, but this time it made sense. Brittany took the job preparation classes and was placed in the barista internship at The Coffee Oasis Drive-Thru in Bremerton. Working alongside the staff provided Brittany with the skills and confidence to get hired after completing her internship at another local coffee stand. The Coffee Oasis staff invested in Brittany at work and invited her to see how they lived outside of work, too. She remembers that experience as being the game-changer in her life, “We all need that certain person that comes into our life and helps us do the right thing.”

Brittany is constantly looking forward. With the support of The Coffee Oasis she graduated high school last year and is currently working on pre-nursing classes at Olympic College. Along with work and school, Brittany’s mother relies on her for support. With so much uncertainty in her past, Brittany’s dream is very simple, “I just want to be stable. I want a house and food…and comfortable couches. I really like interior design.”

 

Thank you for helping create opportunities for youth like Brittany.