EVENTS

Lee's Cafe Is Open

A space designed by youth, for youth - A place to belong

The Spark Society Youth Cafe has transformed a former used bookstore space within our centre into a vibrant, welcoming social hub. Here, youth not only shaped the look and feel of the cafe, but they have also take an active role in its operation—learning everything from business planning and branding to customer service and financial management.

As of April 10th the Cafe space is open after school, Monday - Thursday, for youth in grade 6+, offering free food and wifi

Thank you for YOUR SUPPORT !!

Here at Spark, our core mission has always been to create a space where youth feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to grow. Out of this commitment, the idea for Lee’s Café was born. Lee’s Café was created to empower youth by providing job training, life skills, and employment opportunities, while also fostering community connection through affordable food and beverages. Our goal was to build a supportive environment where youth could thrive, learn, and make meaningful contributions to their community.

With that mission in mind, we are incredibly proud to say: Lee’s Café has been a success. Before we move on to the next chapter it is incredibly important to reflect on, and highlight what this initiative achieved: the youth cafe team gained valuable employment and workplace skills, they experienced the “behind the scenes” of starting and running a business, and perhaps most importantly, our youth helped create a space that feels like their own—welcoming and connected to community, and this impact is worth celebrating!

We are excited for the next chapter of Lee’s Café and want to be clear that this is not an ending, merely an evolution. Staying true to what we’ve learned from youth, we will be reimagining the café space as a free, quiet, welcoming gathering place. In partnership with the Healthy Kimberley Food Recovery Program, the space will offer youth free food, tea, and a comfortable environment where they can relax, study, or simply spend time together. The space will be in addition to the back section of the Spark building, with both spaces open to youth in grade 6+, after school until 6 pm Monday through Wednesday, Friday 2 - 5 pm and for grade 8+ on Thursday after school until 6 pm. There will also be special events planned for the space going forward.

We’re proud of what Lee’s Café has been, and we’re just as excited about what it will become.

We want to thank everyone in the community who showed their support for our youth and this initiative, and of course, a HUGE thanks to the awesome youth who participated and brought Lee’s Cafe to life.

Have Some IDEAS &INPUT

Lee's Cafe Survey

Our Story

Thanks to the support from community donors and the following grants we have a beautiful space designed by youth- for youth

- CANADA POST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANT

- Columbia Basin Trust RDEK ReDi Grants

- Community Futures Community Economic Development Grant

- City of Kimberley

Project Goals & Impact

This initiative goes beyond providing a space to gather; it empowers youth to take the lead in creating something lasting and meaningful.

● Fostering a sense of belonging: Many young people in our community lack a safe, social space outside of school and home. The cafe will provide that essential “third space” where they can feel at ease and included.

● Work experience & employment opportunities: With limited job opportunities for youth in our small town, the cafe will provide critical first-job experience, helping them develop customer service skills, teamwork, and leadership.

● Community connection & engagement: By involving local businesses and organizations, we are strengthening intergenerational relationships, fostering mentorship opportunities, and ensuring that young people feel integrated into the fabric of the community.

● Sustainable social enterprise: The goal is for the cafe to become self-sustaining, with revenue reinvested into future youth programming and the continued growth of the centre.