They managed to build a basketball court and a playground in their North End community using funds raised by selling hot chocolate and now they are at it again.
This time, there’s a new goal for their community — a music studio.
Fabian Colley, Tayemar Mintos and Maziah Clayton-Hart make up the Hot Cocoa Boys, a social enterprise operated out of Hope Blooms. They started their business by selling lemonade in the summer and as the weather got colder, they had to come up with a different plan and decided on hot cocoa.
“We came up with the hot cocoa recipe on our own. We came in one day and threw a bunch of stuff together until something really worked out,” says Maziah Clayton-Hart.
They sold $27,000 worth of their popular hot chocolate and are well on their way to reaching their next goal, the music studio.
“It means a lot because I get to help out people in my community and people around me that I know that need it. And, it just makes me feel good,” says Fabian Colley.
“It makes me feel good that I can give back to my community because they have helped me and my family in certain situations so it just feels good to give back,” says Maziah Clayton-Hart.
- ‘Summer of discontent’ coming over public service in-office order: unions
- Panera to remove ‘Charged Sips’ drink from Canada amid wrongful death lawsuits
- Minister Boissonnault to testify before ethics committee over ties to lobbyist, PPE company
- Family says infant killed in 401 crash leaves a ‘void that can never be filled’
The Hot Cocoa boys range in ages from 14-15, and together with the Tea Girls, they are raising the funds for the studio collectively.
“We have $8,000 already saved for it, and it’s going to be put in a shipping container so people all around the community can come and record when they feel like it,” says Clayton-Hart.
Through their formative years being entrepreneurs, the trio say they feel as though they have learned a lot about themselves.
“It boosted my confidence,” says Mintos.
“I already knew I liked giving back… it just makes me feel better. But I learned I’m also not a bad talker cause I normally don’t talk to a lot of people,” says Colley
Their hot cocoa is available at Hope Blooms or www.hopeblooms.ca.
Comments