Help Erik finish his college degree!

Hi, my name is Jen Thoemke. I am the owner of Cafe 13 where Erik Provost has worked full-time as a line cook. Erik came to Cafe 13 in February 2020 looking for a job. He just found out that he lost his scholarship to Colorado School of Mines. As a Senior at Mines, Erik found himself severely depressed. He sought out mental health help at Mines, was put on medication and focused on to taking care of his mental and physical health. He lost over 100 pounds and began healing. However, his academics declined. In Fall 2019, Erik lost his scholarship to Mines. It wasn't until after the semester that he realized that he now owed Mines over $25,000. With having no way to pay, he was forced to drop out of college and get a job. Erik has worked at Cafe 13 ever since. He came to us with no restaurant experience but with a lot of heart. He has worked through the pandemic. He has held up the kitchen at Cafe 13 when we were without a manager. He is a leader in our kitchen and a gift to all of us at Cafe 13. As much as we would love to keep Erik to ourselves, we know that he is much too smart to stay here. We want to support him to be able to pay off this debt with Colorado School of Mines so that he can transfer his credits to another school where he can receive financial aid and finish his one semester of school.

I know that this time of year there are many places asking for end of year donations. Here is just one opportunity to make a very tangible difference in someone's future.