ABOUT US
Historically, individuals with intellectual / developmental disabilities have not been offered the same opportunities as neurotypical indivIduals. For example, they have been unemployed or underemployed despite their desire, willingness, and above all, their ability to work.
The M.O.R.E. Cafe aims to rectify this through a variety of meaningful opportunities.
OUR METHOD
At The M.O.R.E. Cafe instead of the redundancy and the sheltered nature of opportunities traditionally given to differently-abled individuals, the individuals who are part of The M.O.R.E. Cafe find themselves part of a community, having a social circle, and at the front and center of a business, completing a wide variety of complex but manageable tasks.
These tasks include manning a cash register, packing donuts, making coffee, preparing smoothies, creating breakfast sandwiches and paninis, and most of all interacting with customers. Simple modifications have been made to how the Donut Shop is run, and people with intellectual/developmental disabilities work directly with job coaches to ensure their successes with each part of a meaningful work environment.
OUR STORY
As a Special Education Teacher/Intervention Specialist, Abra Schweickert noticed that her differently-abled students were more often than not being asked to learn in ways that did not speak to their individual skills and abilities. Her students were being put into classroom situations that either emphasized their weaknesses or limited their successes.
As Abra's students were exiting the school umbrella, they were not only losing their social connections, but they were struggling to find opportunities to use their skills in a meaningful way. Most opportunities were behind the scenes of the public eye and lacked interactions with the public.
When a small donut shop in a college town went up for sale, a dream to change this began and The M.O.R.E. Cafe was born. The desire was to create a meaningful place for individuals that might otherwise not be given opportunities. At the center and heart of the opportunities would be individuals with unique abilities. People of the community could see and interact with these differently-abled individuals and see their true capabilities.
These opportunities have since grown to include social opportunities, opportunities to have a birthday party or be invited to one, connections to their community, learning the process of making soap, and much M.O.R.E.!
SUCCESS STORY: KELLY
Following high school, Kelly was part of a sheltered workshop setting, but she is capable of so much more! Up until the opening of The MORE Cafe, Kelly had been spending her days at home. At The MORE Cafe, she has developed a circle of friends and has made many connections to the community. She handles all aspects of being a member of our Donut Team independently with just a few easy tweaks of the environment: a color coded cash register, and 3 steps to each task she performs.
SUCCESS STORY: MITCHELL
Mitchell came to The MORE Cafe when his family moved into Hiram. Previously, Mitchell has been a participant at UDS and spends his days packaging items in boxes. The MORE Cafe has offered a more meaningful opportunity for Mitchell. He has charmed the community with his silly personality and his true abilities are able to be showcased. He brings an incredible memory for the tasks asked of him and an amazing skill at running our categorized cash register.
Meet Kenny
Kenny came to The MORE Cafe having worked at a local grocery store where he was given the opportunity to bag groceries. Kenny was capable of so much more and has proved that. Since spending time at The MORE Cafe and building his confidence, Kenny is now working for an IT company in Middleburg Heights where he had previously been given an opportunity for an internship and shined!
Meet Dee
Prior to joining us at The MORE Cafe, Dee spent her day at home staying up late and sleeping the morning away. Dee is now up and out of the house 3 days a week to be part of the opportunities at The MORE Cafe. Dee's strength as an organizer is such an asset to The MORE Cafe who ensures we have plenty of supplies on hand.
Meet Tyler
After graduation from high school, Tyler struggled to find a place to work as his anxiety and autistic tendencies would get in the way. His days were spent gaming and having minimal interactions with others beyond his family. After a chance meeting while shopping at Wal-Mart, Tyler agreed to give The MORE Cafe a try! He has become a leader on our Donut Teams and has recently begun work down in our Soap Workshop.
Meet Margaret
Margaret's family worried what the next step would be after Margaret left the high school umbrella. Having been one of Abra's former students, she too worried about this. She became the drive behind The MORE Cafe as Margaret has a personality that needs to be shared with others. Although Margaret's language is limited, her memory is phenomenal which makes her an awesome worker!
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
These smiling faces would not be possible without the generosity of our community members. From monetary donation to gifts in kind, all help us to bring skills and opportunities to the individuals you see throughout our website. To learn more about SPONSORSHIP opportunities, please contact us. To DONATE to our mission, click on the button below.
Thank you for helping us continue to bring meaningful opportunities to our members!
6821 Wakefield Rd., Hiram, OH 44234