The Happy Crew: Coffee, Community, Care

Every cup of coffee supports community mental health resources for area youth

The wall on the stairway up to Happy Crew Coffee House is painted black and filled with handwritten messages of encouragement, hope, and gratitude. At the top of the stairs, a bright, airy space welcomes everyone. No matter who you are, you are welcome at Happy Crew. When you have a cup of coffee, you’re becoming part of something much bigger. By day, the space feels like the best kind of neighborhood coffee shop. At night it becomes a safe haven where high school students can feel at home, be themselves, and build community.

The Happy Crew Coffee House - Photo by Kim Turnage

The Happy Crew (the program, not the coffee shop) started in 2015. That year, after eight teens in Douglas County died by suicide, Amy Mays was determined to do something about it. A former church youth director, she started inviting students to her home to create a third place (not home, not school) where they could talk about their feelings and start building a culture of belonging.

Since then, teens have been meeting on Monday nights during the school year, sharing a meal, talking about how to navigate challenges, and learning how to be a resource for each other. They leave each meeting with knowledge and strategies that equip them to offer what Amy calls “a mental health cough drop” to their friends and classmates. She explains, “If a kid next to you in class has a cough, it’s the most natural thing in the world to lean over and offer a cough drop. We want to equip kids with the equivalent of that cough drop when they notice someone seems sad or upset or shut down.”

Mays facilitates and coaches during the Monday night meetings, but the program is student-led. A team of 26 student leaders determines how to address topics that range from building self-confidence, managing test anxiety, and communicating with parents to conflict resolution, active listening, and suicide prevention. Each meeting starts with a meal, then students divide into randomly determined small groups for student-led learning, followed by an opportunity to practice what they’ve learned together.

A Happy Crew Meeting - Courtesy Amy Mays

Statistically, Mays says, suicides spike in November and February. Each school year, the community-building starts at Happy Crew around the time school starts, and it’s in full swing by November. On Valentine’s Day, there’s a huge celebration at Happy Crew – attendance nearly doubled for the Valentine’s Day celebration this year. And, for the first time, there was plenty of room for everyone.

A decade after Happy Crew started in 2015 with a handful of students, Amy’s home was bursting at the seams to accommodate 75-100 students at a time. Alternative meeting places presented an array of challenges until, in 2025, Happy Crew secured the rooftop cafe in the Business Foundry in Lone Tree and opened the non-profit Happy Crew Coffee House. As part of their partnership with Business Foundry, Happy Crew provides a working coffee shop for the co-working space on the ground floor. On Monday nights, when students meet, the program has access to the entire building for small group breakouts and other activities. Plenty of room for those big Valentine’s Day gatherings.

Happy Crew was one of seven local groups to share in $1.37 million in ARPA funds (American Rescue Plan Act) that Douglas County Commissioners granted to community organizations focused on suicide prevention. The $240,000 grant to Happy Crew covered the first year’s rent and startup costs for the coffee house. Memberships for regulars, proceeds from the sale of food and drinks, space rental fees, and donations fund the ongoing programming and future growth of The Happy Crew.

Students at The Happy Crew - photo courtesy Amy Mays

Mays says near-term goals for the program’s growth include expanding to serve 500+ students and adding programming specifically targeted to middle school students. One of those goals becomes reality this school year. Middle Crew, the program tailored to middle school students, starts with its inaugural meeting on September 16th. High school students have their first meeting of The Happy Crew on September 14th. Students are welcome to join at any time. Learn more here.

Students who participate in The Happy Crew build skills they take with them when they leave for college and the work force. They’re paying it forward and expanding the ripple effects of building a community where everyone matters and everyone belongs. Those who choose to be student leaders also build meaningful people-centered leadership skills. Evan Teal, one of the students that met for the first Happy Crew in 2015, is now Chair of the Board of Directors. Another alum recently sent a note to Mays saying, “I still have a bag of cough drops and I’m still giving them out.”

The coffee house is open daily 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. at 9044 Forsstrom Dr. (2nd floor) in Lone Tree. Membership supports programming and is not required to visit the coffee shop.

More information about how to Join the Crew.

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