Phoenix coffee shop and thrift store supports at-risk families, former foster care kids

PHOENIX (AZFamily)—Grabbing coffee and going thrift shopping is popular in the Valley. One Phoenix business combines the two to help provide hope for individuals and families across Arizona.

Grounds to Thrive and Thrift to Thrive are located near 7th Street and Camelback Road. They support Thrive AZ , a nonprofit that provides resources to at-risk families and young adults who have aged out of the foster care system.

"Thrive AZ is a foster care prevention, reunification and aged out service. We come alongside biological families that are at risk of losing their kids due to poverty and we provide the basic resources that the Department of Child Safety is requiring them to have," president of Thrive AZ, Steve Vogel, says.

The nonprofit has been running since 2016 and has helped over 12,000 children and 900 aged-out young adults. It has also given more than 7,000 beds to children at risk of entering foster care whose families just needed a little extra help.

The coffee shop and thrift store opened last year to continue helping the community in several ways.

Vogel says, "We wanted a safe community space for people to come and hang out, enjoy a great cup of coffee, also go and thrift in our thrift shop."

He also says, "We do use this as a job skills training program. We have had a couple of people that have graduated that have gone on to be baristas and now they're working in other coffee shops, and they graduated out of our program."

Grounds to Thrive offers all your typical coffee shop items like lattes, chai, drip coffee, and a few bakery items. Everything is locally sourced.

The coffee beans come from Passport Coffee, which is based in Scottsdale. The cinnamon rolls come from Rolled Out Bakery in Mesa. The shop also offers drinks from AZ Lemonade Stand.

Vogel says that as a local business, they also want to support other local businesses.

Later this fall and into the winter, Grounds to Thrive and Thrift to Thrive will also host live music events. The stage is located inside and to the right of the coffee shop's main entrance.

Grounds To ThriveLocation: Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, from 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.