Denver Coffee Shop, Purple Door Helps Homeless

The owners of one Denver coffee shop aren’t just talking about social issues, they’re actually doing something about them. Co-founders Madison Chandler and Mark Smesrud opened the Purple Door two years ago with the goal of hiring homeless young adults, giving them one-year contracts to help them get back on their feet. Jenna Williams, a 23-year-old who had been living on the streets since she was 15, recently finished her stint at the nonprofit shop and quickly landed a full-time job at Starbucks. “This is exactly what us ‘street kids’ needed,” Williams said. “It’s all about love.”