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5767 S. Rapp St.
Littleton, CO 80120
303-635-6674
https://www.dirtcoffee.org/

“Located in Downtown Littleton, Dirt is on a mission to bring you quality crafted coffee, food & drink while employing & empowering individuals with autism.”

From the Website:

Did you know that 90% of individuals with autism are either unemployed or underemployed? Founded with the idea that people with differences deserve better, Dirt’s mobile coffee truck hit the ground in 2013 on a mission to change minds and change lives one cup at a time. Since its inception, Dirt has trained and employed over 100 individuals with neurodiversities while providing over $40,000 in scholarships to families in need and their caregivers.

From the ground up, our shop goes further to cultivate a culture of acceptance, inclusion, and opportunity while empowering others to do the same. Are you in love yet? Dirt breaks the expectation that a good cause comes with a lack of quality. Our baristas are socially conscious and craft a damn good cup of coffee. What’s in the cup is great, but what’s beyond the cup is life changing.

The Visit:

I drove the 20 minutes south from Denver to Littleton and arrived at Dirt Coffee Bar, located in a quaint old house on a main street with the South Platte River out back. There is a lawn out front as well as a porch with very inviting chairs and some games– for customers to have a cup of coffee and a snack, to read or socialize, or to play a game. Inside, customers find good air-conditioning, an inclusive bathroom, souvenirs (hats, shirts, coffee cups, etc) for purchase, and friendly staff greeting customers. “Welcome to Dirt Coffee—I hope you enjoy whatever you order,” says an employee. “Can you set a timer—you may need to drain the hibiscus,” a job coach instructs an intern. “Iced latté—enjoy!” an employee tells a customer.

Dirt was founded six years ago by Lauren Burgess, the current Chair. Emily Wallace was kind enough to sit with me and share the history, mission and operation of Dirt. She explained that, six years ago, she and Lauren had identified a “huge need for employment for people with autism.” She noted that 90% of people with autism are either unemployed or underemployed. They had worked together at Garden, a Colorado based program “on a mission to cultivate inclusive opportunities for those with autism and neurodiversities to share, learn, grow and shine in this world just as they are.” According the website [https://gardenautism.org], “Garden provides exceptional services & programs for individuals of all ages and abilities. We offer a wide variety of one-to-one & group based programming for children, adolescents & adults year around. All of our programs are guided by the foundations of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) & are cultivated to meet the unique needs of each individual we serve.”

Wallace adds, “We needed a bigger space—and it was hard to convince people—we showed them!” In 2013, Dirt began as a coffee truck. “The community was so accepting and supportive!” In 2018, they took the “next step.” “Lauren found this place 2 or 3 blocks from the Light Rail Station,” which made it accessible for the employees. Dirt opened in May, 2018 and “has had neurodiverse employees from the start.”

Neurodiverse participants sample positions over a three-month paid internship period. They may learn to work the register, serve as barista, stock and unpack merchandise, or work as a bar back (bussing dishes, cleaning tables). During the internship period, the 10 interns have a fairly well-defined schedule broken down by month: in month one, their job coach is with them as they are set up for success. In month two, the interns pick an area of focus (of the four above) and choose goals. In month three, the coach steps back and observes from a more distant position, and the worker receives natural supports. Interns also learn such soft skills as hygiene and the importance of arriving on time for work. For most, Dirt is their first internship/training, and they go on to paid employment elsewhere. Thirty interns had completed the training program as of my July, 2019 visit. Currently, 100% of interns are neurodiverse and 30% of employees are neurodiverse.

The program is supported by sales, grants and fundraising. In addition, interns are funded through Voc rehab and Medicaid waivers. There is also a private pay option.

One very nice success story is Robby. His parents report, “We thought he’d live in our basement forever. He then started working full time at Goodwill and got his own apartment. He wasn’t happy with that job. He is now at Dirt and was recently Employee of the Year!

Lessons Learned/Challenges/Advice:

  • Start small and expand (coffee truck was the first step; 5 years later, expansion to coffee shop).
  • location, location, location!-by being close to the light rail, employees can get to work more easily, there is steady foot traffic along the main street location, and there is easy on street parking in front of the shop.
  • Community support is essential
  • Job skills and soft skills of the job are very important (arriving on time, being courteous to customers, etc).
  • It is important to expose people to different jobs as “people often get stuck in a particular job”.
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Pizzability reopening within Brewability Fall 2020

3445 S Broadway

Englewood, CO 80113

(303) 598-0809

https://www.brew-ability.com/

BrewabilityLab@gmail.com

Founder: Tiffany Fixter

“Brewability is a brewery that  employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to brew and serve craft beer.”

From the Website:

Welcome to Brewability where we hire people with developmental disabilities and are accessible for both our employees and our customers.  At Brewability you will experience quality and flavor in all of our beers. Hand brewed in small batches and tasted throughout the entire process to ensure a quality product for our customers.  Brewability is kid-friendly as well as dog-friendly! (may not be dog friendly once the pizzeria opens)   Tiffany Fixter, a special education teacher, developed the idea for Brewability after working with  a home brewer in a day program.

The bar is designed to be accessible for both employees and customers:

-The menu is color-coded to match the handles on the taps (coordinating a specific style)  so customers can order by size and then by color.  

-The tap handles also have braille for employees with visual impairments.

-Employees use pictures and checklists for dishwashing, cleaning and other tasks.

-Customers can utilize a braille menu and use sign language with their bartenders.

-Brewability has a section of  sensory items for customers and employees who may need something tactile.

Brewability originally opened in 2016 and was located in North East Denver. We are pleased to announce the opening of our NEW and improved location of  Brewability Lab in October, 2019 at 3445 South Broadway, Englewood.   In December 2018, Pizzability opened in Cherry Creek but due to the limited number of tables and poor reception from the Cherry Creek neighborhood, the decision was made to move to the new Brewability location in Englewood. We are currently working on building out our new kitchen and are planning to reopen Fall of 2020.

Be sure and visit our website brew-ability.com to learn about all of our upcoming special events, you won’t want to miss the live entertainment and all of the fun scheduled weekly.

The Visit:

I visited Pizzability in their original North Cherry Creek (Denver) location on July 17, 2019.  While the store is no longer in operation at that location, this entry is written in the present tense, at the time of my visit.

The pizza store, located on the lower level and accessible via an elevator from the parking lot in the rear of the building, trains and employs people with disabilities.  The pizza store has gone to great lengths to make the ordering and dining experience very pleasant for diners with a wide range of disabilities.   The restaurant is filled with games, fidgets, a sensory room, wiggle seats, noise cancelling headphones, and features Braille throughout, an easy-to-read menu and the option of cutting up pizza into very small, chewable pieces or the option of  blending the pizza for people with G-Tubes.  In addition, the bathroom is both stylish and accessible, and the restaurant has a “door theme.”  Founder and owner, Tiffany Fixter explains, “it represents opening doors for people without opportunities.” 

Fixter, a special education teacher by training, moved to Denver to run a day program for people with disabilities.  After encountering some challenges in that job, she opened a brewery.   A customer told her about a pizzeria for sale and she bought it with the plan to sell beer from the brewery at the pizzeria.

During the visit, Fixter, shared the history of her businesses, some successes and the many challenges she was facing.  She has sadly found that some in the neighborhood have not been welcoming to people with disabilities, going as far as asking her to “hide the (wheel) chairs.”   (Negative attitudes of some neighbors is reported here:  https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/07/27/pizzability-special-needs-employees/

Lessons Learned/Challenges/Advice:

-If you truly believe in something, give it your all!  There will be challenges but it is worth it.

-There are so many costs associated with running a business (and some are unanticipated)

-Be sure to find out what permits are necessary to operate your business

-Location, location, location—and attitude (location is important—being downstairs didn’t help access or visibility; the negative attitude of some of the neighbors was unexpected and disappointing. The new neighborhood is near two major hospitals and a school for the blind, which is very promising for business!)

-In moving locations, transitions take time for employees to get used to

-Consider carrying products of other businesses which are made by people with disabilities (i.e. art gallery items, Peaceful Fruit)

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Address: 140 Ethel Rd W suite m, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Phone: (732) 287-0158
https://www.popcornforthepeople.com/
Co-Founder: Steven Bier

“Popcorn for the People is a nonprofit established to create meaningful employment for those with Autism and other disabilities. We aim to combat the current 80% unemployment rate in the autism community with the training and hiring of adults with Autism to create, cook, package, and sell uniquely flavored gourmet popcorn.”

From the Website:

It all started with Samuel Bier. Samuel is a high functioning 24-year-old with autism. He wants to travel, have fun, and work just like everybody else—we ask ourselves: where can a bright, energetic young man that simply views the world slightly different find work, fulfillment, and happiness? Just when we thought the options were limiting, we spotted a popcorn store in East Brunswick available for sale and this ignited the spark that started it all. We decided to combine America’s favorite snack with Samuel’s passion and unique worldview to create a popcorn with a purpose. We invited other individuals, like Agnes, a star chef and mother of a child with autism, to join our team. While Agnes experimented with new flavors, Sam cooked the popcorn. Before we knew it, we gained an overwhelmingly positive response and began a movement, inviting more individuals to feel empowered, take bigger risks, and embrace accountability.

When fulfilled and empowered, individuals become more responsible, thrive creatively, take on bigger risks, and are able to embrace accountability. Popcorn for the People employs those who wish to challenge themselves, overcome obstacles, and strive to be their very best.

We ensure that our gourmet popcorn is popped to perfection using only the finest NON-GMO Kernels, NON-GMO Sunflower Oil, and ALL-NATURAL ingredients to deliver and maintain only the highest quality. Certified by GoKosher, listed in Kashrus Magazine, our popcorn is 100% KOSHER and HAND-CRAFTED by our gourmet popcorn experts on the Autism Spectrum. All flavors (excluding Cookies n’ Cream) are GLUTEN-FREE. Our product is NSF certified and manufactured in a NUT-FREE facility (we do use coconut) in Piscataway, New Jersey.

The Visit:

I discovered Popcorn for the People in the most unique and wonderful way: I stopped at a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike while traveling with my family from New York to Philadelphia. My family had gone in to the rest stop while I watched the packed the car. When they returned, they urged me to “grab your camera and pad and go in!” When I entered, I was immediately greeted by people sitting or standing at a table, all wearing shirts which either said “Popcorn for the People” or “Autism at Work.” Friendly workers were offering small cup samples of several flavors of caramelized popcorn. The rest stop store featured a display of bags of several flavors of caramelized popcorn for sale. This was my first “taste” of the product, the company and the wonderful workers. I made a note to reach out to “Popcorn for the People” and arrange a visit later in the Summer of 2019.

On July 31, I drove to the company’s headquarters in an industrial area of Piscataway, New Jersey, not far from Rutgers University. There are several companies in the same complex, all sharing a parking area. I entered the building and sat in a small waiting area, admiring displays of various products, photos of happy workers, and articles about the company. I then met with co-founder, Steven Bier, who shared the background to the company.

Bier explained that his son, Samuel (now 28), who is on the autism spectrum, had consistently been assigned to jobs which were not appropriate for him. In considering more appropriate employment options for Samuel, the family purchased a popcorn vendor booth in the Freehold Mall and then relocated to a different location as a store in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Bier then met Rachel Cheng, at the time a Rutgers student studying non-profit consulting. Rachel, who currently serves as COO, helped develop Popcorn for the People.

The company, which is a nonprofit which Bier reports is “run like a real business,” started with a 4,000 square foot space and were producing 200 bags of flavored popcorn per week. Last year, the company produced 350 bags/week and currently producing 3,500 bags/week. They proudly train and employ people with a range of disabilities including people with cerebral palsy, people who are blind, and people on the autism spectrum.

Bier and Cheng have found that it is useful to offer a wide range of shifts, noting that “a 40-hour work week doesn’t work” for most participants. The “employment” link on the company website (https://www.popcornforthepeople.com/pages/employment) indicates that there are five 3-hour shifts. In addition, the site indicates: “We have different jobs including sales person at events, popcorn cooker, bagging popcorn and labeling bags.” It further notes: “In order to decide which job would best suits you, please answer the following: ability to make change, put labels on bags, comfort level selling products at a booth at events.” The company proudly goes out of its way to create a job, even when it might be done more quickly by technology or automation (labeling/placing a sticker on a bag of popcorn is one example).

On the tour, we viewed the kitchen were the popcorn is popped and caramelized, and where various flavorings are added. There are currently 48 people with disabilities and 16 without disabilities working for the company. Customers can purchase products online, at several rest stops along the New Jersey Turnpike, and at various sporting and theater events (soon, it will be possible to purchase popcorn at Newark International Airport).

Lessons Learned/Challenges/Advice:

  • In producing food, there are many regulations and health codes which require careful compliance.
  • It is important to offer a range of jobs since each employee has different interests and skill sets.
  • Minimum wage is double edged sort—while it sounds wonderful and beneficial for employees, it can also make it nearly impossible for employers to cover costs—it is possible to cover production and other costs while paying employees $10/hour, but not $15/hour.
  • The most cost effective way of doing business may lead to eliminating certain jobs. Where possible, company had opted to create more jobs by not always moving toward automation. It would be cheaper in the long run to purchase a labeler, but having a person manually applying labels means a person has a job.
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JCC Rockland – Jewish Community Center Rockland County
450 W Nyack Rd, West Nyack, NY 10994
Phone: (845) 215-7055
http://lillianscafe.org/

“A kosher dairy café at the JCC in Rockland County, NY, staffed by people with disabilities. Menu is vegan and vegetarian friendly with many gluten free options; kitchen is nut free.”

My Visit: August, 2019:

I parked in the very busy parking lot of the JCC, entered through the main entrance and fairly easily found the café, just beyond the information desk on the left side. There was a lot of action in the JCC this particular day with the summer camp holding its song festival. I was impressed with both the taste and price of the cookies, bagels and coffee on the menu ($2 for a chocolate chip cookie—what a bargain!). The acting manager explained that people with disabilities do all aspects of work in the café from food prep, to cash register. I observed a young man meticulously cleaning tables and chairs in the area where customers sit; he was receiving patient guidance from his job coach.

Program History: Interview with Michele Koenig, Director of Clinical Programs (Rockland Jewish Family Service)

Ms. Koenig reports that there has historically been a high turnover of food service vendors/cafes, with five coming and going in a ten-year period. Michele and her team saw this as an opportunity to “take the plunge” and create a program which would train participants in cooking and baking. They selected young adults with disabilities from their program for training, to work alongside workers without disabilities. They run the café and cater small catering jobs both within and outside of the building. Lessons learned from what at the time was four months in operation are shared below.

Our Story (From Website):

Lillian Adler was a woman of great valor and generosity. She believed in building community while making the world a better place for all. It is with this spirit that Lillian’s Café was born.
Lillian’s Café is a unique program designed to employ individuals on the Autism Spectrum. We provide job training and real work experience to enhance the strengths and potential of each member of our workforce. Our employees hold themselves to the highest standard of food service and customer relations, skills that will translate to future careers in hospitality, business, and other ventures.
We believe in using fresh, wholesome ingredients and take pride in each meal we serve. We strive to make food that is convenient and delicious while enriching the lives of our employees and our customers. At Lillian’s Café, our goal is to nourish our bodies, our spirits, and our community.
We know there are many places you can choose for a good meal. When you choose Lillian’s, you get a great meal and the satisfaction that comes from helping others. What could be better!

Lessons Learned:

  • Costs: startup costs and staffing costs are high. A program supporting people with disabilities requires additional staffing which adds to overall costs.
  • It is useful to work with Access VR (voc rehab) but there is a maximum allotment per person (which gets used up quickly, and other funding sources must but identified)
  • It is helpful working in the JCC building as rent-arrangement is ideal and there is a built in customer base.
  • Graduate students from local universities provide useful additional help as they work with the trainees
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