DENVER - Hidden on the edge one of Denver's most colorful neighborhoods, the color purple is making a name for itself.
It's the color of the front door at The Purple Door coffee shop, a place that does so much more sell than coffee and tea.
"The reason they call this place Purple Door Coffee is because back in the day purple ... was for royalty," said Jenna Williams, who has been working at the coffee shop for close to one year. "It had high value, and so whenever you walk through that door, anyone, they should know you have worth, you have value."
But it's the people behind the counter who are benefiting the most from finding their worth and value. The people taking orders and serving coffee were all homeless.
"They've given me so many second chances, like, they've taught me what it is to have a real a job," Jenna said, a 23-year-old who had been living on the streets since she was 15. "It's all about love. We're not just a business, we're not just a coffee shop. We are a family."
The Purple Door takes in young adults, three at a time, and gives them a job for one year. It's a non-profit that also helps them find a place to live, giving them a chance to reenter a stable life.
It's the brainchild of co-founders Madison Chandler and Mark Smesrud, who opened the coffee shop, which is about to celebrate its two-year anniversary.
"Street kids -- it's just such a distinct culture, that they needed something that was very specific to them," Mark said. "I saw a hope that was present there that like had been squashed out so much, but they kind of constantly said 'No. I'm still going to be hopeful.'"
"It is unique. This is a unique job for sure," Madison said. "The hardest thing about this job for me has been how to balance pushing someone to become better and being gracious to them when they fail, when to know you're not pushing hard enough or not being gracious enough.
Part of that struggle came last October, when Jenna nearly lost her job.
"I ended up getting back with my boyfriend and moving in with him and struggling hardcore, while working herem with cocaine and meth," Jenna said. "I almost lost my job here. Like I legitimately got told I needed to step up."
It was a struggle for Madison and Mark as well.
"You might feel the hurt of some of their personal decisions that are setting them on the wrong path, but other times, that's what happened to them most of their lives anyway," Mark said. "Whenever we correct poor behavior, it's never in a 'You're bad, therefore you did something bad.' It's 'You're better than that, and you deserve better than that. And so please live into that. And let us help you."
The Purple Door helped Jenna by using a 52-week curriculum.
"He sits us down and teaches us about budgeting, bank accounts, how your physical health affects your emotional and mental health, and just the cycle of life," she said. "Part of the curriculum actually helped me pull away from the situation I was in in October because there was this specific line in the curriculum that said 'You have the freedom to remove yourself from any situation that you consider is unhealthy.'"
The Purple Door currently has about a 50 percent success rate, though Mark adds that those who may not complete the program may still benefit from what they had learned.
Jenna soon got back on track, and recently completed her one-year, landing a full-time job at Starbucks.
"The Purple Door coffee family gave me the chance no one else would. They understood. I've never felt so at home," she said. "This mission works and I am proud to experience it. This is exactly what us 'Street Kids' needed."
The Purple Door is located at 2962 Welton Street.
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