Youth Opportunities Unlimited operates several social enterprises in London and Middlesex County. These sites are designed to support youth in learning new skills and gaining meaningful work experience in a hands-on environment. Each social enterprise employs expert mentors who train youth participants on how to work within a team, what to expect in a workplace or job site, and basic life skills. All proceeds from social enterprise sales support the youth programming that YOU delivers, which provides stable funding to continue supporting local youth in the future.
Our social enterprises include:
YOU Made It Café – Located in the heart of Downtown London, our café boasts an incredible menu completely prepared and served up by youth. Training at the Café includes food preparation, customer service, serving skills, as well as large-scale meal production for customers like Meals on Wheels London. We also offer catering services, teaching youth how to create eye-catching trays and boards.
The Café is also the proud home of Mushed by YOU, a line of preserves and sauces skillfully made by our youth trainees and mentors, showcasing their expertise in food production and industrial kitchen skills.
YOU Made It Woodshop – Led by our expert mentors, our woodshop is where youth gain hands-on experience creating high-quality trellises, planters, Muskoka chairs, chef boards, and more for retail sale, as well as custom orders for customers like the City of London and Covent Garden Market – and perhaps you! Youth can also develop essential skills in cabinetry and millwork, working on custom pieces that showcase their craftsmanship.
From raw materials to the finished product, they learn every step of the process, building confidence and expertise for future careers in the trades.