(upbeat music) - From here, we're going to really try to do the loudest and most obnoxious slurp.

(slurps) Just like that.

Here we go.

- Judgment free.

(slurps) (pair laughing) See, look, we got this cozy cup latte, warm milk hot, right?

Brisey is supposed to be showing me how to do this, but she's over there having a whole nother conversation, so I'm gonna have to do this work on my own, okay.

Which is okay 'cause I think I know how to do it, but I don't know how to do it.

(laughs) Now look, I'm a volunteer, I'm training, so don't be too hard on me, all right?

(pair laughing) See, y'all didn't know I was gonna be checking out people too.

Giving you everything today.

(upbeat music) This is "The Good In Us".

I'm your host Jerome Moore, and today we are visiting Harvest Hands in Humphreys Streets.

We're gonna be talking to co-founder Brian Hicks about the social enterprise and how it empowers our teens to impact the community through coffee.

You get to see me maybe roast some coffee, sip some coffee, maybe even do some customer service and sell some coffee.

And also be mentored by some of the teens that work at the Humphreys Streets Coffee Shop.

All right?

Come on, let's check it out.

(upbeat music) Hey Brian.

Good to see you.

- How's it going?

You too.

- Thank you for inviting me down to the Harvest Hands Humphreys Streets.

Very excited to learn more about what you all do.

Many people might not understand the social enterprise, so break that part down to us.

- Yeah, so we're a community development organization.

And so we started the social enterprise back in 2008.

My wife and I did.

And our high school program is really a workplace readiness program and it's really grown a lot over the last almost 15 years.

And now, employed quite a couple hundred students through the years and really a lot of those young folks who came up through that program now run the program.

- Tell me a little bit what I'll be doing today 'cause I'm definitely excited to learn about the coffee making process and of course talk to some of the teams that are now managing the place that started right here at Harvest Hands and Humphreys Streets.

- Yeah, so what you'll do, you're all gonna do a tasting or what they call a cupping in the coffee world.

And so you'll go in there and you'll taste coffees from different places, different roast levels.

You'll see that coffee, like wine, tastes different depending on where it's grown.

- [Jerome] So essentially, I'm about to become a coffee expert.

- Yeah.

You'll be like a-- - So I'm gonna be giving all of you your coffee guides and once I go through this process, my coffee knowledge cannot be questionable.

- That's right.

You'll never be able to drink gas station coffee again.

- Never again.

Never again.

Well look, I'm ready to get started.

- Nice.

Let's do it.

- Show me the way.

- Thank you.

- After you.

- Hey guys, this is my friend Jerome.

This is Ricardo.

This is Ruben.

These guys are the experts in the coffee here.

And I've told you about them, but they're gonna be teaching you today how to cup coffee, how to taste it.

And I hope you guys enjoy your time together.

- [Jerome] All right.

Appreciate it Brian.

- [Brian] See you.

- [Jerome] Yep.

- Great.

So we're ready to cup some coffee.

We have four different coffees here that we carry.

And the way that cupping works is the notes is very involved.

So we're gonna be smelling, really sniffing some of the coffees.

So we're gonna go in and we're gonna sniff.

Three bunny sniffs.

Typically Ethiopians are gonna be a little bit more herbal and aromatic and a little bit more floral.

Something like a Colombian and Central American, South Americans are gonna have a little more chocolate and earthiness.

Next, we're going to break the crust and as we're doing that, we're sniffing.

And you're gonna get more of the aromatics.

- [Jerome] Yeah, I can tell the difference.

- If you get a little bit on your nose, that means you're doing it right.

- You know, the things I do to make sure y'all get good quality coffee.

- Next, grab a spoon, you grab your coffee and then you slurp.

The louder and more obnoxious that your slurp is the better.

- Okay.

Loud, obnoxious slurp.

I got you.

- Awesome.

- That's what y'all getting.

That's what the Q grader.

That's what he saying.

That's what I gotta do.

- That's what you gotta do.

(Ruben slurps) Just like that.

And then we rinse.

Here we go.

- Judgment free.

(slurps) (pair laughing) - You okay?

- I'm learning.

I'm trying.

(pair laughing) Now, as you all can see, the cupping is a process one can say.

Outside of almost dying from trying to master the slurping technique, I think I'm ready to tell you how much your coffee is worth.

During this process, I was also able to spend time with and talk to Ricardo and Damani, who both also started as teens and continue to impact their community here at Harvest Hands and Humphreys Street.

(beans pouring) These coffee beans looking pretty good, man.

I think I'm ready to go work in the coffee shop now, man.

I done did the cupping, the sipping, the roasting.

You think I'm ready to go work in the coffee shop?

- I think you ready?

As long as you got all those, you good?

- I'm good.

I'm good.

Damani say I'm good.

I'm at the coffee shop.

(upbeat music) So we here at the Humphreys Street Coffee Shop where I'm finna meet Kim, who's the assistant shop manager here.

She's gonna tell me a little bit more about her story and how Humphreys Street impacted her life.

And I'm gonna learn how to make some coffee.

All right?

Come on.

(upbeat music) Hey Kim.

How's it going?

- Good, how are you?

- I'm doing good.

It's good to be here with you in the coffee shop.

And I'm glad to talk to you about just your experience here at Humphreys Streets, being a graduate of the program.

How did you become a part of the program?

- So I used to live in the Napier community, which is not too far from our Harvest Hands Center in Napier.

And one of my friends had told me that Harvest Hands was a new community center in the neighborhood.

And I just went up there and I was like, what's going on up here?

And I just became comfortable with the environment.

- [Jerome] How old were you at the time?

- I was 14.

- [Jerome] 14 years old.

And now you're assistant manager?

- [Kim] Yeah, I'm an assistant manager.

- [Jerome] How does that make you feel like now that you get to contribute and get back to that same community?

- It makes me feel good.

It's different for one.

Not many people in our community give back through coffee.

And also I grew up with majority of the kids we work with.

So just seeing how it's making a difference and an impact on their life, it feels good.

- All right.

So look, this what I'm ready for now.

- Okay.

- I know you're the assistant manager and everything.

But I think I'm ready to learn how to make some lattes and do all those things.

Can you help my dreams come true?

'Cause I wanna make the little flower, little leaf thingy.

- Are you really ready?

- I'm really ready to do that.

Yeah.

- Okay.

I can show you Brisey.

- Okay, let's go.

(guitar music) - Hey Jerome, this is Brisey.

- Hi, nice to meet you.

I'm Brisey.

- Hey Brisey.

Nice to meet you.

- Brisey's one of our student baristas here at Humphreys Street.

She can show you how to do latte art.

- I'm ready.

I'm ready to do my art.

- So first we would pull our shot for our latte.

We tap to get it even.

And then you can push down.

You're gonna pull it.

Mix it.

Pour vanilla.

This is gonna aerate it.

Pour some milk, and then here you go.

- Okay.

Here we go.

- [Brisey] And pour from higher, high up.

Yeah.

- [Jerome] Okay.

Pour high up.

- And then do little circles.

Yeah.

And once that espresso touches the rim, you stop.

And you go down.

So you wanna bring it very close.

And then pour.

Like...

I don't know how to explain it.

You kind of-- - Why am I nervous right now?

Okay.

Am I going forward with it?

- Yeah.

You pour forward.

(pair laughing) Try it one more time.

- Okay.

You do...

Okay.

(pair laughing) - Where's my leaf?

I want my leaf.

- Here.

I'm just gonna stack it.

- So that's how mine should've looked.

It's not fair.

Side by side.

(laughs) - [Brisey] It's okay though.

We got contrast.

- Look, this is crazy.

Like, this is...

Thank you for showing me up.

And that's "The Good In Us" with a little vanilla.