What is an "at-risk youth"? Have you ever wondered what puts a pre-teen or young teenager in the "at-risk" category? The adjective form of at-risk reads of "being endangered, as from exposure to disease or from a lack of parental or familial guidance and proper health care," from one source. Merriam-Webster defines the word risk as the "possibility of loss or injury."
Youth is defined as "the time of life when one is young; especially : the period between childhood and maturity".
The period between childhood and maturity. The period where innocence is most fragile resulting in a higher chance of becoming lost. The period where without positive leadership in a desperate environment - a child can become labeled as at-risk.
Most think of at-risk youth as being from a crime-ridden urban dwelling. This is not always so. We rarely view a child living in an upper class neighborhood from far North Dallas as being at-risk. However, they too may lack certain guidance and healthy leadership thus resulting in damaged morals and standards. The painfully lonely and confusing period between childhood and maturity for them does not discriminate between poverty and wealth.
We can do one of two things as a society. Ignore the problem entirely and shake our heads later in disgust or face the problem head on by wreaking havoc on darkness through positive outreach. If we choose the second, we've the opportunity to successfully prevent this downward spiral and assist in their self-worth becoming realized.
Chad Houser chose the latter. As long time Chef at the Oak Lawn restaurant, Parigi, a self-described "neighborhood bistro," Chad made the decision to leave in August 2012 to concentrate full-time on another culinary creation, Café Momentum. Assisting Chad was another Parigi Chef by the name of Janice Provost and from there these two would continue to grow it out of it's stages of infancy.
There was something quite different with this new food venture as it had no storefront and would rely heavily on the ever-so-popular "pop-up" restaurant themed events. It would also involve a group which most would've deemed worthless, disadvantaged and already lost, the Dallas County Youth Village (DCYV) also known as "at-risk youth."
The DCYV are young men between ages 13-17 who are at that pivotal moment, returning to their same environment with one leg to stand on while the vicious cycle continues until they wind back into a juvenile detention center. Unfortunately not all of us had someone taking our hands to show us that there is more to life than a bleak future on the streets. Fortunately there are people who exist, willing to step into that role as a complete stranger and guide, to expose a brighter future.
From this point forward - the term at-risk will be obsolete because there is not one of us who hasn't made mistakes growing up and some, if not most, continue making poor decisions well into our adult lives. The late great Hank Williams sang it best, "So unless you have made no mistakes in your life, Be careful of stones that you throw." We cannot allow ourselves to define them by their past. To be a positive changing factor in someone's life we must not label them as anything other than success.
I first came into contact with Chad previous to an event when I was following Jack Perkins around his new barbecue venture, The Slow Bone, located on Industrial Blvd. It was here that Jack offered his building and parking lot for Café Momentum's latest "pop-up" theme - the Pitmaster's Picnic. Knowing this in advance I reached out to Stephen Joseph of Joseph's Riverport Bar-B-Que in Jefferson, TX to offer my assistance. The final lineup would include The Slow Bone, Stanley's Famous Pit, Pecan Lodge, Lockhart Smokehouse, Louie Mueller's and of course Joseph's Riverport. To keep it short, some of the greatest cooks within the Texas barbecue scene who have some of the biggest hearts.
The day of the event, Sunday July 7th, was met with anticipation. I arrived at The Slow Bone mid-morning to meet Stephen and his Riverport crew after their early morning haul from Jefferson. While waiting out the lunch crowd, talking all things barbecue, and listening to Jack's humorously embellished tirades about whatever came to his mind, the worker's and volunteers of Café Momentum begin to arrive.
While it's clear that Chad is the brains behind the operation, board member Terry Lynn Crenshaw was the mover and shaker for the day. A personal Chef by trade she was omnipresent over the site, instructing the young men of their duties and overseeing the event's step by step process. Mainly she could be found chatting away and laughing. A lot. A true asset to the inner-workings of Café Momentum would be an understatement.
By evening time, the tents were set up with food ready, red and white checkered clothes covering the tables and the crowd's arrival imminent. Before the serving hour, Chad brought the young men around to each pitmaster's table to introduce themselves. Each one had a handshake more firm than the last and carried a well-mannered demeanor with every "Hi, my name is" and "Pleased to meet you sir." The moment I recognized what Chad already had - happened while standing from a location where I could see each pitmaster's area. What I saw were these "young men" interacting with each pitmaster and being engaged. Not ignored.
As evident from the crowd in attendance, Café Momentum has a strong and loyal following. Over half of the crowd were repeat eaters and those fans stayed a bit longer to hear an announcement that had been published a week prior in Dallas Observer's Food Blog "City of Ate."
Understand that the whole time Chad has been conducting these dining events, he still had a bigger vision. This vision included having a brick and mortar where the young men of DCYV would have a positive environment to learn skills and work ethics which would benefit them more than one could imagine. With a grant from the United Way to the tune of $175,000 - Chad's brick and mortar is that much closer to reality. This announcement was met with inspiring cheers and applause from the Café Momentum faithful. It seemed as if they want to see this project all the way through to completion more than Chad. In a sense, they are partners as well and I don't believe anyone would disagree.
Many times I've heard people say "If I had a million dollars I could help a charity". My newly found personal motto is "If you don't help when you have nothing, what's going to change when you have something?" Since Café Momentum's first pop-up in June 2011, some of Dallas' finest restaurants and Chefs in the dining scene have offered their services. This has helped Chad build upon his reputation and credibility while acquiring an evolving belief in his work. Café Momentum still gets by with a little help from some friends but when you put it into perspective, it really does take a village to raise a child.
www.cafemomentum.org
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