For citizens of the United Kingdom, a call to “be social” this weekend offers more than just the chance to say a fine how-do-you-do.
An initiative called Social Saturday will shine a spotlight on 70,000 socially conscious businesses, including cafés, restaurants and shops, offering free classes and tastings.
One especially unique local business gaining attention is the Old Spike Roastery, a coffee shop in Peckham Rye, London set up exclusively to help local homeless people in the community receive job training, work experience, and land a place to live. 
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Their first homeless employee, Lucy, was selling copies of the Big Issue—a magazine sold by homeless people—near the London Bridge when co-founder Cemal Ezel met her. He liked her so much that he offered her a job on the spot.
The Romanian native doesn’t speak much English, so Ezel is providing her with language courses, which she uses to practice with their customers.
For more on the Old Spike Roastery, check out their website. To learn more about Social Saturday, click here.
Photo by Kate Beard
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