DENVER A 96-year-old firehouse in Denver's Curtis Park neighborhood will soon be transformed into a restaurant that will help youth who have been involved with the justice system.Mike Waid, the former mayor of Parker, is the executive director of Caf Momentum. "The purpose [of this building] was to save lives. And now, we have our concept here to change lives," he said as he walked around the 4,500-square-foot space. This will be Caf Momentum's first location in Denver. Other locations include Dallas, Pittsburgh and Atlanta. The nonprofit gives 15 to 19-year-olds who have been involved with the justice system an opportunity to obtain a year-long paid internship with the restaurant. During their time, they will learn all aspects of the industry from culinary skills to management. "We're a voluntary program," Waid explained. "We're not court-ordered. We're not parole officer-ordered." The interns also receive case management services, education, mental health care and workforce development. The services will be located on the second floor of the fire station. Waid said Caf Momentum Denver will work with the Colorado Juvenile Justice System as well as youth programs to find candidates. The nonprofit hopes to put 100 youth through the program each year. According to the national campaign No Kids in Prison, in Colorado, it can cost $132,000 a year to have a child in prison, compared to $10,000 a year for a child's public education. Tristyn Williams, now 21, is a graduate of Caf Momentum Dallas. She joined the program in 2019 when she was 15 years old. "I was fresh out of the juvenile system for the second time, but I had actually found out I was three months pregnant with my first child," Williams said. "I was falsely accused of assaulting an officer and was arrested for that." Williams said she gained many life skills from Caf Momentum and would not be where she is without the program. "I got to see a whole different side of the world that I had given up exploring or even wanting to know about," she said. "I came to Caf Momentum surrounded by strangers that loved me from the jump. They gave me grace. They walked me through some of the biggest milestones that Ive lived in my short life so far."Williams is now working for Caf Momentum's ambassador program, which sends youth across the country to share their stories and speak up for justice-involved youth. She is also studying criminology and hopes to become a juvenile attorney or work in a police department. Williams told Denver7 she has no desire to take any steps backward. "I would never risk my freedom for anything in the streets. Nothing could pull me back to it," she said. Waid expects construction to begin on Caf Momentum Denver at the beginning of 2025.