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
Luv Michael 42 Walker Street (Tribeca) New York, NY 10013 (646) 661-1224 luvmichael.org Name of contact: Founder-Lisa Liberatore Lisa cell: 917-699-5118
“A 501c3 established in the home of the founders in 2015 to train, educate and employ people with autism. In 2016, the program moved to an entrepreneur space (industrial kitchen) in Long Island City with son Michael and one other person to they can make and package Luv Michael granola. The program, now much larger, sells to several well-known stores and is in the process of moving from Long Island City to Tribeca in Manhattan. Participants do not pay for the program. They receive a paycheck for their work. The founders handle most costs with grant support helpful as well. The goal is to have for-profit and not-for-profit divisions.”
My 2018 Visit (Keep Reading for 2019 Updates!)
Luv Michael is the first job site I visited and in many ways, was the inspiration for this project. Dr. Liberatore reached out to me at the suggestion of a mutual friend. I went to visit the program’s rented kitchen and classroom space in Long Island City, NY. I observed the entire granola making process and learned that Liberatore needed to hire many professionals for both the vocational training component, and for recipe development (“granologist”), packaging, etc. Participants combine ingredients, bake and measure out the correct quantity, weight and consistency (not too crumbly) and package it. During the visit, I asked if Dr. Liberatore knows of similar programs and job sites specifically geared toward training and employing people with disabilities. She referred me to the Facebook group, Autism, Entrepreneurship. This was a useful starting point for identifying businesses and tuning in to the concerns of parents expressed in the discussion. I have kept in touch and recently updated the Lessons Learned section.
Updated provided by Luv Michael August, 2019
Luv Michael is a Non-Profit 501c 3organization that produces high quality organic, gluten-free, and nut-free granola without all the harmful chemicals and toxic allergens. The company was founded in 2015 by Lisa Liberatore, MD and her son Michael with the goal of providing meaningful employment and on the job training to those diagnosed with Autism. Michael Kessaris is the inspiration for Luv Michael Granola. Michael’s new line of gluten-free and nut-free granola is taking its first delicious bite out of the fast-growing natural foods niche with distribution in the fifteen Manhattan locations of Fresh & Co. stores. In addition to meeting consumer demands for a high quality snackable granola in the growing market for nut-free and gluten-free foods, Luv Michael is part of an inevitable wave of career-finding solutions for those, like Michael, living with Autism. For Michael and his team, producing the highest quality gluten-free and natural products was a logical tie-in; healthy dietary alternatives have been found to be beneficial to many with Autistic symptoms. Providing training and income for others on the Autistic spectrum became their mission. With the disability affecting 1 in 68 births and rising, employment for the maturing Autistic population has become an increasingly significant challenge for many. The success of Luv Michael is even more compelling, considering that employment for those on the Autistic spectrum is lowest among those with disabilities.
Finding a career was not easy for Michael, a Port Washington, NY native. Despite his love of cooking, Michael was unable to enroll in culinary school without a high school diploma. Michael’s parents, both physicians, Lisa Liberatore, MD and Dimitri Kessaris, MD, helped create the food-based business so that their son and others with Autism would not be a burden on society or limited in their potential to lead happy and productive lives. They started Luv Michael under the parent company, Indigo Life, which represents a commitment for doing even more for the Autistic population.
The idea was born to make a healthful quality product that could provide income and a career for both Michael and other individuals with Autism. Luv Michael provides a therapeutic employment environment, which caters to the special needs of the employable Autistic person. Luv Michael now employs over 10 full-time granologists that provide fresh granola to Starbucks, JetBlue, Fresh and Co, D’Agostino Supermarkets, Gristedes Neighborhood Grocers, Wild By Nature and over 60 other retailers. The Liberatore and Kessaris family are working with autism specialists to develop an entire curriculum based upon the New York State food handler’s license and are dedicated to not only teach cooking and food safety but also all aspects of a small business including sales, marketing and customer service and distribution.
Luv Michael’s mission is to “provide a meaningful culinary vocation for the Autistic population and to produce exceptional gluten-free and natural products.” So far, success is sweet for Luv Michael. Luv Michael’s story is about to take a huge leap forward with the opening of our higher-capacity kitchen and learning center in the Tribeca section of New York City. Luv Michael’s new headquarter is expected to open in October 2019. In this dedicated space, granologists will learn their trade and take part in the manufacturing process. Most importantly, they will grow as workers and members of the working world. The skills they gain here will most assuredly be used for many years to come in future jobs and careers
Founder Dr. Liberatore Shares Observations/Lessons Learned:
Legal Fees Are Enormous! (very important to set up each system and mechanism properly; last year, paid $10,000 now to get nonprofit registered in different states (we will have a nonprofit and a for profit division—nonprofit is training, curriculum, special education teacher salary, etc.)
How to Work and Not Lose Social Security Benefits? “The System Is Barbaric! –this is why parents don’t want their children paid—don’t want them to jeopardize SS benefits. “I went down to SS—if he works, the $700 meant for living (residence), food, clothing, etc. automatically has $85 deducted off the top, then for each dollar he makes, they deduct $.50—to incentivize him to work. And the mom must go in person so I would have to miss a day of work.” “how do I pay them when parents don’t want them to get paid.” (I bring 5 one dollar bills and tape it to their work stations…so they “see” they are getting paid for their work.”
Costs—we have funded it (we reason our other son is going to NYU and we pay the tuition; starting this program is training for 10 with disabilities)
When trying to make a financial sustainable business you need to focus equally on the business as you work on the mission.
You need experts in the field to really commit to your project.
You need to try and keep overhead as low as possible but also spend where it counts. For us, it was recruiting a great special education teacher with many years of successful teaching the autistic population and is willing to think out of the box.
You must believe in the mission fully because it will be a costly project to finance before it becomes financially viable- that means years of hard work and doubts!
Others will say you are crazy
Stay true to the reason you started it and don’t compromise. We want a healthy and tasty product and also to provide education and enrichment to our granologists.
That is counter to the business world where they want to make a cheap and unhealthy product, mass produced and employ people for the low skilled jobs without future growth and stimulation.
When you do it “right,” people get it and start helping you for low cost or pro bono.
Protect your brand and don’t try to grow too fast. You need your ducks all lined up and the project completely worked out and written down before it can be replicated.
This next year will show whether we are sustainable or not as we move into our own space, grow our snack line and procure more outside funding.
Updated on : October, 2019
Luv Michael Co, now in its fourth year of business, recently opened a 3,000 square-foot, state of the art commercial space in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. It is outfitted as both a comprehensive learning and training center as well as a high capacity commercial kitchen where young adults with autism will train for the New York State food handler’s license and produce the company’s product – organic, all-natural and gluten-free granola.
Currently, Luv Michael Co. employs 10 ‘granologists’ that provide fresh granola to Starbucks, Fresh & Co, D’Agostino Supermarkets, Gristedes Neighborhood Grocers, Wild by Nature, totaling over 60 retailers in the greater New York City area. A replication expansion project at the Greek Orthodox Church of The Hamptons, employs 10 more. Luv Michael Co. will soon begin producing its products for JetBlue.
Yes She Can (Job Skills Development Program) at Girl Again—A Resale Boutique for American Girl Dolls 4 Martine Avenue, store 2B White Plains, NY 10606. YesSheCanInc.org Name of contacts and title: -Marjorie Madfis, President marjorie@yesshecaninc.org Office: 914-428-1258; Mobile: 914-837-1467 -Lesli S Cattan, LCSW, Director of Training Programs Lesli@yesshecaninc.org (917) 880-5478
“Yes She Can is an incubator, laboratory and job skills development program at Girl Again: A Resale Boutique for American Girl Dolls Girl Again, a business around a special interest: American Girl dolls. Young women with autism and related learning and social disabilities are coached by clinical professionals and business managers in all aspects of the business. Trainees develop transferable skills including technical skills and work place social skills as well as self-advocacy and emotional regulation. .” Founders report that 80% of adults with autism are not in the workforce despite the fact that most have a desire to have a job.
My Visit:
The Girl Again store is located on a busy street in White Plains, New York, near other stores, cafes, offices and a large city parking lot, where I parked. Marjorie, the founder, and Lesli, were generous with their time in explaining every aspect of the “incubator” and business, from how they got the space, to how they get merchandise donations, and make sales. The store receives donations of dolls and all their accessories from across the United States; they have received more than 700 donations in five years from doll lovers and collection drives as “mitzvah projects.” They report a challenge has been attracting customers given an overall decline in the country in the purchase of toys and dolls. At one point, girls were purchasing American Dolls which looked like them and had interesting stories—and purchased clothing, accessories and books. Competition recently has been online games.
We walked through the small store with neatly arranged merchandise and I saw dolls, outfits, books beautifully displayed on shelves at various heights. We then sat in the training area where many large clear bins containing outfits and components awaiting sorting were neatly stacked. Lesli and Marjorie explained that one important aspect of the training has been helping the trainees develop perspective taking, something which is difficult for people with autism. “I know this may appeal to you, but will an 8 year old want to buy this?” Similarly, a trainee may have a hard time understanding that a customer may want to buy a doll without the necklace (which is “supposed” to be with the set)—this is part of the training in perspective taking. Similarly, it is often a challenge for trainees to “shift,” and to do tasks that were not on their assignment sheet – because priorities can change unexpectedly in a business It’s hard to anticipate a task which needs to be done.
Trainees use Chromebooks with a shared drive where everyone has access to the same information and tools. Trainees use a spreadsheet to log and track the customer “wish list”, from across the country where doll collectors are looking for specific dolls and accessories. The trainees need to check the wish list and they then work on calling or emailing the customer when an item they want becomes available.
They also conduct online research for the original components of a doll outfit or accessory that is no longer available from American Girl to determine if they have the complete set to prepare for resale. They use guidelines to determine the price to sell the item at but then need to learn how to make decisions when the guideline does not apply. They input this data into a spreadsheet called the inventory management tool – an exercise in data entry, accuracy, and quality. Some items they input are factual and some requiring inferencing, which can be more difficult. An important area trainees are working on is in learning the nuances of phone calls. They are learning to make outbound calls, where they start the conversation. One area which can be challenging is in not knowing what the customer may ask i.e. item costs and shipping costs. In short, it is difficult when the conversation doesn’t follow a script. They are also learning to initiate phone calls to customers whose wish list item is now available.
Reasons for Starting the Program:
Marjorie notes that 80% of adults with autism are not in the workforce and she had her daughter, Isabelle (Izzie), who she describes as “in the ‘gray area’, in mind when she created the program. She notes, “We are a training program and incubator—we are not an employer.” Marjorie points out that Izzie’s teachers did not believe she would be able to pass the NY Regents Exam for a high school diploma but Marjorie didn’t want Isabelle to be assigned to a life skills program.. She wanted Izzie to be in an environment with high expectations, something she didn’t find in the internships she was assigned to as part of her IEP in high school. “She further notes that they didn’t give the interns transferable skills. Marjorie’s starting point was Izsies passion for American Girl dolls. Isabelle’s declared career goal it to work at American Girl store. “When I thought of all that she should learn, I considered resale. There are many tasks to do in a resale business that are transferable to other work environments. . g With American Girl merchandise there is enough to motive someone like my daughter to learn the skills she really needs – primarily appropriate social interactions.” At Girl Again, trainees learn data entry and importance of accuracy. They also learn to do things they don’t necessarily enjoy – because it is work. They learn to accept and act upon critical feedback. They also learn how to talk to managers, co-workers and customers – each differently.
Brief description of business from website):
Yes She Can (job skills program) At Girl Again (A Resale Boutique for American Girl Dolls) Yes She Can’s job skills program is delivered at Girl Again, a resale boutique for American Girl dolls and all their accessories and books. Visit us in White Plains New York. We sell dolls, but we’re not in the doll business, we are in the job skills development business. Yet, we operate Girl Again just like any other business – we meet customer needs efficiently and effectively. We have built a business around a special interest: American Girl dolls. Our customers include first time buyers as well as long time collectors. While most are girls between 7 and 10, our customers include boys and men as well as teen girls and women. We embrace our diverse customers. And our customers appreciate our trainees. While most typical girls lose interest in their dolls by the time they reach middle school, girls with autism do not experience the social pressure to put their dolls away. Some of our trainees still have a great passion as well as a developed expertise in their American Girl doll collection. This expertise has a market value. And it can be used as a platform to develop other business skills that can be transferred to jobs in the competitive work environment. While not all trainees have an affinity for AG, they all learn from all the tasks that are involved in running the business. Pat Rowan coaching trainees: Our goal is to enable the young women to increase their potential to get and keep a job where they can shine. Resale Value: The advantage of the resale business is that there are many and varied business tasks, and employees can either specialize in what they like best or choose to expand their skills. Micro-tasks include:
-sorting through donated clothes and created complete outfits (skirt, shirt, jacket, shoes, socks for example); -pricing products competitively by researching and comparing prices on eBay; -cleaning dolls; -researching the doll’s original hair style and styling the doll hair; -price tagging the merchandise; -taking photos for marketing; -posting content on digital platforms;
managing and tracking inventory, book keeping, organizing and hosting events and parties, and more. Girl Again is a first-of-a-kind incubator and laboratory where we nurture young women at work without the pressure of a for-profit business. We are applying the most effective training techniques that conventional employers as well as autism employment entrepreneurs can use as they begin to hire people on the autism spectrum. Yes She Can focuses on vocational skills that are challenging to persons on the spectrum. And, because we operate within an authentic business, trainees gain real work experience while learning and practicing a range of skills needed in the world of work. WHAT WE DO: Yes She Can has developed an intensive learning and training experience within an authentic business setting that has proven successful in helping young women (ages 18-28) gain the skills necessary to be successful at work. Teaching methods are used to address the challenges associated with autism. Coaching is provided by clinical professionals with a focus on improving social, emotional and communication skills for the workplace. OUTCOMES: Quarterly assessments enable our monitoring of the progress each trainee makes. We then adjust our interventions to help trainees move towards their personalized goals. Program outcomes include a rise in employment, an increase in participants’ independent functioning in the community, and positive self-regard.
Lessons Learned/Observations:
Be attuned to overall trends. Doll (and toy) sales have declined in an age of computers and video games.
Find a business where the work is engaging and skills learned are transferable.
Use the training (in sorting, merchandising, sales, etc) to also train for perspective taking—how would the display appeal to customers of different ages?
A real challenge for some of the workers with disabilities is anxiety and frustration. Similarly, many have a difficult time doing things not written on their assignment sheet. Flexibility is tough.
Understanding the concept of TIME is often difficult for workers (i.e understanding her new glasses will arrive “maybe Thursday”)
Learning all aspects of initiating and sustaining a phone conversation can be challenging as it deviates from a script (i.e. when customers ask questions about item or shipping costs)
There is a great deal of “unlearning special education” to be done as part of the training. Trainees need to be taught “Don’t make me do your thinking.” Some things which could be taught in school but which
usually aren’t include: risk taking, making a recommendation, supporting your reasoning and turning to your peer for input/consultation.
Important tasks and skills include learning thoroughness (“what is good enough?” –is it worth it to spend 30 minutes picking lint off of an outfit?), efficiency (as above with the lint example—if we sell the item for $10, is it worth spending a few hours preparing an item for sale?), and not taking it personally (i.e. if manager questions efficiency)
Use various assessment tools and use them regularly (including self-assessment, employer assessment and parent assessment). -there are free legal services for nonprofits in NY, NJ and CT—Pro Bono Partnership: https://www.probonopartner.org/.
