{"id":450245,"date":"2026-09-01T19:58:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T19:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/450245\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T19:58:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T19:58:25","slug":"cafe-empowering-immigrant-women-through-paid-job-training-opens-in-normal-heights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/450245\/","title":{"rendered":"Cafe empowering immigrant women through paid job training opens in Normal Heights"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are hundreds of cafes across San Diego, but a newly opened space in Normal Heights \u2014 Make Cafe \u2014 has a slightly different mission.<\/p>\n

Groups of refugee and immigrant women rotate through the jobs that are needed to run a restaurant on-site. They learn job and life lessons in a new country through the farm-to-table business model.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cafe-restaurant solves the problem of \u2018how do lower literacy, low income refugee and immigrant women get workforce development in San Diego,\u201d said Make Projects executive director Anchi Mei. \u201cIt’s so hard to attend an apprenticeship or training program, when you have kids or family responsibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Make<\/p>\n

Make Projects executive director Anchi Mei walks through Make Farms garden, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

She stood on a small slice of land under the trolley tracks near Snapdragon Stadium. There the earthy aroma of vegetables, herbs and other garden staples in the soil fills the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now we’ve got the height of summer \u2014 eggplant, basil, tomatoes, cucumbers, and we’re getting ready for fall,\u201d Mei said.<\/p>\n

This is the farm for Make Projects<\/a>. It’s where refugee and immigrant women begin the first month of a 12-week paid job readiness program with the organization.<\/p>\n

\"Eggplants<\/p>\n

Eggplants grow at Make Farms, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

They primarily work with students from San Diego Community College District\u2019s College of Continuing Education<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat has been the single greatest success is that we have that direct partnership with the (English Second Language) College. We’re hoping to expand that, but for now we’re more than busy with all the population of students there,” Mei said.<\/p>\n

Olha Fochshan is a program participant. She stood under the shade of a garden greenhouse at the farm on a hot summer day.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course we are the farm so it’s all about harvesting, planting, seeding, caring about the babies,\u201d she said, talking about nearby sprouts.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A board with the schedule for Make Farms is displayed on a shed, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

She left her native Ukraine with her daughter about a year ago. Her husband is still there fighting as a soldier in Kyiv.<\/p>\n

Here in San Diego, Fochshan said she\u2019s found a Ukrainian community to bond with away from home.<\/p>\n

She pointed out this program is teaching her the soft skills to thrive in the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we start(ed) I would like to be like \u2018okay I\u2019m the best.\u2019 I\u2019m also more independent,\u201d Fochshan said. \u201cBut when I started to work with other women I (saw) that okay we\u2019re different, but what I can teach them and maybe what I can learn from them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Make<\/p>\n

Make Projects program assistant Zahra Ahmed walks along a dirt pathway at Make Farms in SDSU Mission Valley, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

Zahra Ahmed was once a participant, and now serves as a program assistant.<\/p>\n

She came to San Diego from Sudan in 2020. She said the program helped her face fears that come with relocating to a new country.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know they have barriers to language. But if you have barriers to language too, that doesn’t mean you’re not going to achieve your goal,\u201d Ahmed said.<\/p>\n

Now she helps train other women who come from similar situations. She said they provide support in many ways, like case management.<\/p>\n

\u201c(If) she ha(s) any other problem in her life or issue, she can tell us and we’re going to help her. It’s not just about work,\u201d Ahmed said.<\/p>\n

Most of the food at the farm is sold in community supported agriculture, or CSA boxes.<\/p>\n

\"Customers<\/p>\n

Customers order food and drinks at the Make Cafe outdoor cashier area, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

But some of the food grown at the farm is used at the organization\u2019s new permanent home just a few miles away in Normal Heights \u2014 Make Cafe<\/a>. They officially opened in June.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s world driven flavors, but also very comfortable. Salads, bowls, we have a congee on the menu,\u201d said executive chef Ashley McBrady.<\/p>\n

Congee, an Asian rice porridge, is an example of the cafe\u2019s global approach to food that reflects their program\u2019s diversity.<\/p>\n

\"Chef<\/p>\n

Chef Ashley McBrady explains cooking techniques to participants learning in the Make Cafe kitchen, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

McBrady said the new location serves as both a public restaurant and hands-on training environment.<\/p>\n

Make Projects previously operated a cafe at a temporary church site<\/a> in North Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re so fortunate to have such a beautiful space. The neighborhood has been really welcoming,\u201d the chef said. \u201cWe\u2019re on our group four in the cafe. And so seeing, meeting all these new people and having them train through \u2014 it’s a fun and unique experience, absolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now each group is made up of three participants. That means 36 participants go through the program in a year.<\/p>\n

\"Make<\/p>\n

Make Projects participants prepare food inside the organization’s cafe in Normal Heights, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

After spending four weeks at the farm, the women learn how to prepare and cook food in the kitchen for a month. Then they rotate to the front of the house as baristas and cashiers to finish out the program.<\/p>\n

“Reading a recipe is the same functionality as any other job \u2014 it’s about showing up, intentionality, communication and then just the drive,” McBrady said.<\/p>\n

66-year-old Maria Castillo was working in front of the house, making drinks in late August.<\/p>\n

She was getting ready to graduate from the three-month program. Castillo said it offered a change of pace and greater financial flexibility for her future.<\/p>\n

\"Maria<\/p>\n

Maria Castillo prepares beverages at Make Cafe, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always worked as a babysitter and never worked in a program like this or with coworkers. Only by myself in people\u2019s houses,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Castillo straddled two countries and two cultures living between Sonora, Mexico and San Diego County for decades.<\/p>\n

Now firmly in San Diego, she hopes the skills she\u2019s learning here might help her launch a new career. The program has given her the confidence to branch out on her own.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope to have my own business \u2014 maybe a mobile truck or small dessert place, something. I see this in my future,\u201d Castillo said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A planter at Make Cafe boasts a sign with goals from the job readiness program, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

The cafe is 25% self-funded and 75% funded through grants and donations, according to Mei. But she said they plan to become more self-reliant and increase their percentage of operating costs with time.<\/p>\n

For now, it\u2019s open Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m, with Wednesdays designated as a training day for staff.<\/p>\n

Make Cafe also hosts events in addition to catering<\/a>, and plans to offer occasional evening service in the near future.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A couple of women stand in front of the Make Cafe building in Normal Heights, Aug. 21, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There are hundreds of cafes across San Diego, but a newly opened space in Normal Heights \u2014 Make…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":450246,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[74,76,75],"class_list":["post-450245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=450245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450245\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/450246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=450245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=450245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=450245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}