More Than Just a Cup of Coffee
Established in 2024, the Close Collective Cafe is a social enterprise cafe that is about more than serving delicious coffee and food - it's a place where every sip and bite positively impacts young people's lives.
Our Purpose
We exist for the collective investment in social connection, training and employment pathways for young people. All of the cafe's profits are invested in our purpose and vision of building brighter futures for people in our local community.
How it Started
The Close Collective Cafe is a social enterprise owned by Junction Support Services. Junction started in the late 1980s and is today the largest youth organisation in the Ovens and Murray and a lead advocate for youth engagement in the local community. Junction offers more than 40 programs covering crisis accommodation, youth services, family violence support, disability services, care services, education, driver education, and more.
For years, Junction has heard from young people and their families that they wanted a safe space to meet and socialise in Wodonga. So, in 2020, Junction purchased "The Grove" building in central Wodonga to create a community youth space and a social enterprise café where young people will learn and work. Our youth space, WINDBREAK 3690, is next door to the cafe and brings young people together for social connection and activities - creating pathways to engagement.
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As part of a broader social impact project, the profits from our café will contribute to creating social connections, training, and employment pathways for young people. Most importantly, they will support our programs tackling youth homelessness, including our training program, launched in October 2024.
Our Name
The name Close Collective is a dedication to valued Junction staff member Kate Close, who passed away from cancer in 2022. Kate was a strong advocate for young people, and her passion is reflected in this new enterprise.
Collective embodies our vision to unite individuals and organisations, pooling our resources and efforts for the greater good of the community.