The Monkey and the Elephant Cafe in Brewerytown employs workers aging out of foster care

BREWERYTOWN (WPVI) -- May is National Foster Care month and a café in Brewerytown has made it their mission to help those aging out of the foster care system get access to jobs and a livable wage.

At first glance, the Monkey and the Elephant seems like your typical Philadelphia coffee shop, but there's something unique about those behind the counter.

Every employee is aging or has aged out of the foster care system.

"Young adults aging out of the foster system or the child welfare system face a ton of different hurdles as they figure out what's next for them in life," said Anne Harrison, Executive Director.

Those hurdles include housing, a job, filing taxes - things most people lean on their parents for. Here, the café is filing the void.

"And it's more than a job. We provide wrap around services, as well as professional development, workshops around career exploration," said Harrison.

Kavon Harris-Robinson is a program alum who is studying to be a physician assistant.

"The tools that I learned, the networking and the budgeting - I learned the business side aspects of working here," he said.

For now, he's giving back, working as the cafe's General Manager.

"Personally, it's fulfilling knowing that you're helping youth out of foster care advocate for themselves and get the tools they need to navigate adulthood," said Harrison.

Right now, the program has space for about five to ten foster kids a year, but they're working to expand that to about 15.