‘It’s been really exciting’: 12 Neighbours brewing social enterprise Neighbourly Coffee

Tiny-home community gives residents job training A tiny-home community in Fredericton, started as an effort to reduce homelessness, is now providing employment skills to residents

A community of tiny houses is spreading their mission into the wider Fredericton area, one cup of coffee at a time.

Katrina Lunn lives in the 12 Neighbours community, she’s been there for eight months following what she described as a precarious living situation.

"It's been a smooth transition for me because what's unique about 12 Neighbours is that they have wrap around services for you,” Lunn said.

“So if you need help with your mental health, or you need to further your education, or you want to get employment those services are available to you,” she said.

12 Neighbours is best known for helping people put a roof over their heads, and now, they're giving them the skills to work.

"We are building these businesses as training businesses to help people with employability,” said Marcel LeBrun, 12 Neighbours creator.

“When you look at our overall strategy, we start with housing, and we invest in development, and tap into the power of work where people feel meaning, purpose and develop skills and independence,” Lebrun said.

They've opened a daily pop-up cafe at Picaroons Roundhouse, called Neighbourly Coffee.

They also brought in some coffee shop experts to train their community members.

"It's been really exciting,” said Mallory Kelly, manager of Neighbourly Coffee.

‘”These are really transferable skills, being front facing with customers has been a great opportunity to getting people used to being in front of the public,” Kelly said.

“As well, as working behind the bar learning to make speciality coffee which is a really unique skill,” she said.

The coffee bar officially opened yesterday, where Tipsy Muse Café formerly held their summer pop up.

"It's been really a good learning experience for me,” Lunn said.

“It's not really something I'm super familiar with so I'm getting to learn a lot, also getting to engage in the community who really want to know about 12 Neighbours,” she said.

The long term plan is to open a social enterprise center on the 12 Neighbours property.

"When people can maintain and sustain employment then they're much less likely to end up struggling with homelessness again,” Lebrun said.

It’s currently under construction, and they hope to have the cafe up and running there by the winter.

"A lot of people kind of have this stigma that a lot of people who may need 12 Neighbours are unemployable,” Lunn said.

“So it shows them that we do want to work, and we do want to be part of the community and I think that's really great for them to know,” she said.

Neighbourly Coffee is open at Picaroons Roundhouse from 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

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