- Video shows Michelle Cochran, CEO of SOAR Cafe & Farms.
- SOAR Cafe & Farms is FOX 47's 3 Degree Guarantee recipient for the month of February.
- Every night, our meteorologist makes a three-degree guarantee for the next day's high temperature. If he's right (within 3 degrees) the nonprofit is awarded $50. If he's wrong, the nonprofit is awarded $100.
"It's everything to me. I have a place to work that's probably the most understanding place I've ever worked," says Danielle Sullivan, former SOAR program participant and employee at SOAR Cafe & Farms. She says that she loves coming to work every day. However, this cafe is more than just a place for coffee and conversations.
CEO, Michelle Cochran, explains, "We've become so much like a family, and the women are just flourishing through that." Cochran founded SOAR Cafe & Farms in 2017, helping women survivors of trafficking, addiction and sexual trauma rebuild. "For them to learn and trust again, and that it's okay. Their courage to do that and continuing to keep getting up and walking this out every day is incredible," says Cochran.
The SOAR program has given women a place to stay through their residential program, and since September, job experience at the cafe. "We're finding it's working really, really well," says Cochran. Both she and General Manager, Michele Hummel, work one on one with women in the program each day. Hummel says, "When you're walking with these ladies into freedom and into their next stage of their life, you get to observe all those good changes with them."
For every forecast prediction in our 10pm newscasts in February, if our meteorologist is within three degrees, FOX 47 will donate $50 to SOAR Cafe and Farms. If they're wrong, FOX 47 will donate $100. Cochran says the money will go toward growing the cafe and replacing some items at the house, all trying to help lead to a new chapter for the women in the program. "It's helped me rebuild completely," says Sullivan. "Now, I'm doing bigger and better things here. The journey just continues to get better as time goes on."
WATCH MORE: A new cafe opens to help women 'SOAR'
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