Alameda's Fresh Start Cafe

If you live in the East Bay, you're in luck (and I'm jealous). Why? Because Fresh Start Cafe in Alameda is now open!

"The cafe operates under the county's New Beginnings initiative to support at-risk youth and is part of a chain. The first Fresh Start Cafe opened last year at the Juvenile Justice Center in San Leandro. The cafes serve county staff and the public. The menu includes everything from a quick cup of coffee to fresh fruit and sandwiches. The program is an innovative public-private partnership through Alameda County and Aramark, which provides food service for the sheriff and probation departments. It is geared to help give youths from the foster care system a leg up as they search for job opportunities and transition into adulthood."

Now that's a worthy and local cause. Fresh Start Cafe is located inside the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office at 1106 Madison St. and operates weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Read more about Fresh Start Cafe here.