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profi t to operate the coffee shop and Keely Thompson, the previous founder of CUP, had always dreamed of building a coffee house working with young adults,” Borrego said. “It was her idea.”

CUP then shifted its mission to serving young adults, and in 2018, opened a second coffee house — the Reunion Coffee House.

CUP opened its third coffee house, Taza, on Feb. 1.

Taza is Spanish for cup, and the space is designed to feel like a home.

“We named this coffee house Taza because Adams County has the highest population for Latinos,” Borrego said.

Not only does Taza provide jobs for young adults, but it also teaches them life skills by providing a 12week paid training course. The class focuses on selfawareness, introspection, leadership and character development, Borrego said.

“When you learn life skills or job skills, you build a relationship,” Borrego said. “It was the idea behind the nonprofi t. We used the same mission with families such as women and children.”

When a young adult is not healthy in their household, Borrego said the whole house struggles.

“If we help the young adult, we know we’re helping families,” Borrego said.

Chris Churches is the coffee house director and has been with CUP for four years. She sets up new coffee houses, runs the day-today operations and hires the employees.

She started with CUP fi rst as a donor, then worked as a barista and

Taza co ee shop recently opened in the Adams County government building, and it is operated by Taza Executive Director Maria Borrego,

Community Uplift Partnership employees Aletta Torrez and Jacqulyn Churches and Chris Churches, Taza co ee house director. PHOTO BY BELEN WARD

SEE TAZA, P4

‘When you learn life skills or job skills, you build a relationship. It was the idea behind the nonprofi t. We used the same mission with families such as women and children.’