Adults with different abilities are flourishing at area food businesses

By Mary Abitanto | Photos by the author

Everyone needs passion and purpose to thrive. Here, we shine the spotlight on local food businesses and programs that are creating an inclusive environment and breaking down social barriers by providing meaningful employment opportunities for adults with different abilities. The Blue Bears Special Meals, McCaffrey’s Food Markets, and Pennington Quality Market are making great strides in hiring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), which upholds their dignity, self-confidence, and independence. Navigating through a seemingly big and complex world can be overwhelming but, being taught they are capable and teaching them to hone in on their personal strengths is a powerful expression of empathy and compassion. This commitment demonstrates that people with disabilities can fit seamlessly into the fabric of our business culture, communities, and lives.

The Blue Bears Special Meals

Autonomy, Community, Training, Inclusivity, Dignity — words boldly printed on the café’s walls set the stage for the warmth of The Blue Bears Special Meals, which is owned by Céline and Eric Guillemot. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing meaningful employment opportunities for people with IDD. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 80 percent of people with IDD in the U.S. are unemployed.

I had the pleasure of visiting The Blue Bears, which is located in the Princeton Shopping Center on North Harrison Street. The smells emanating from the restaurant are reminiscent of a Parisian café. Upon entering, you see beautifully presented baked goods such as breads, croissants, and French cookies like coconut macaroons and madeleines, and from the large window the hustle and bustle of cheerful staff is evident. Celine Guillemot and I sat down for coffee so I could learn more about this cozy and purpose-driven café.

Celine and Fay in the kitchen of The Blue Bears Special Meals.

The Blue Bears opened in May 2019 and downsized during the pandemic. Over the past six years they have successfully trained 15 young adults with developmental disabilities, autism, and other spectrum disorders. Six of them are still working there and are referred to as “little bears.” During our conversation I met Fay, a “little bear” who had stopped by our table to check in with Celine. She has been working there for four years. All the “little bears” work on a part-time basis, are paid employees, and have different shift rotations during operating days which are Tuesday through Saturday, serving breakfast and lunch.

The Blue Bears was originally founded by Antoine and Gaud Yver of Rocky Hill. They had six of their own children, but once they became young adults, the Yvers adopted four children from France, all of whom have Down syndrome. When their oldest child with Down turned 21, they realized there were few opportunities for meaningful employment. This sparked the idea to open a café serving French cuisine with healthy food options as well as comfort food, and The Blue Bears Special Meals café soon came to fruition. This decision was made not only to benefit the Yver children, but other families experiencing similar roadblocks to purposeful employment for their adult children with IDD. The Yver family is no longer involved in the business because they have moved back to Provence, France, and in their retirement, they have opened a similar business with the same mission. The Blue Bears is now fully owned and operated by the Guillemots. They are currently seeking donations and grants to remain operational. Volunteers are also welcome.

Celine has a background in hospitality, and her husband has a passion for baking all things French such as brioche croissants, pastries like lemon tartelettes, rum baba, and much more. Celine and Eric are both French and love sharing their culinary heritage with Princeton, the surrounding community, and the “little bears.” Together they make a wonderful dynamic duo where Celine handles recipes and all staff management as well as team hiring with some hands-on baking on the weekend, and Eric handles the baking after work until late in the evening. They also offer French classics like Beef Bourguignon and Coq au Vin made by their very talented line cook, Cali. It is a fully operational café with French delights, nourishing quiches, and comforting soups.

Megan and Natasha in The Blue Bears kitchen.

Fay was happily prepping quiche ingredients when I toured the kitchen, which is encased with large windows so the workers can see out, and customers can see inside the kitchen. She was beaming with pride at her quiche creation that she showed me. Everything at The Blue Bears is made from scratch with fresh, seasonal ingredients, including the quiches and lovely lemon meringue pie I saw going out to customers. The “little bears” mainly focus on prepping things — peeling vegetables, squeezing fruits, slicing ham and cheese for quiche and Parisian sandwiches like Croque Monsieur, and portioning ingredients like salmon and cheese, which teaches them math since they must weigh and measure. They also label things, keeping their writing skills sharpened and minds active. The “little bears” do hands-on work like rolling cookie dough into perfect round balls, which can be rhythmic and relaxing. Some, like Fay, make gnocchi dough, which requires precise measurement of ingredients like eggs, flour, and cheese, and is rolled by hand to pillowy perfection. There is clearly a sense of pride in seeing the outcome of your work.

Another big part of the job the “little bears” do is serving customers — in the spring and warmer weather there is also seating outside. Introducing themselves to customers encourages opportunities for social interaction. Utilizing these important social skills gives them confidence to navigate the world outside the walls of this vibrantly colored café. Celine works with parents to encourage and facilitate these skills at home so that the “little bears” transition well into the job and life. It’s an ongoing learning process. The training is also continuous with lots of praise and positive feedback.

Orders can be placed online at bluebears.org. Spring and summer menu items include Spring Broccoli Quiche, Summer Ratatouille, Spring Carrots Beef Stew, and Summer Nicoise Salad.

Paulie by the carts at McCaffrey’s in West Windsor.

McCaffrey’s Food Markets

McCaffrey’s Food Markets is well-known for its inclusion of people with disabilities in meaningful jobs in their multiple locations Princeton, West Windsor, and Yardley, Newtown, New Hope, and Doylestown, Pa., stores. Jim McCaffrey III says, “We hire people with disabilities because nourishing a community starts with embracing every member of it. When all talents are welcomed, our markets become places where kindness, inclusion, and possibility grow.”

Paulie is an employee at McCaffrey’s in West Windsor who truly stands out for me. He is warm and welcoming and takes great pride in his work. He pushes and organizes the carts with great ease – a job that takes strength and care. He also assists elderly customers by taking heavy bags to their cars, which demonstrates his compassion. Paulie exemplifies hard work and kindness. He always has a smile on his face.

Pennington Quality Market

Mike Rothwell and Barbara Rothwell Henderson are the current owners of Pennington Quality Market (PQM), having taken over the family business from their father, Larry. Mike says, “My father believed it was important to provide people with disabilities equal opportunities to thrive. He recognized the need and made inclusivity a core part of his mission as a business owner.”

Mike served on the board of the United Cerebral Palsy Organization, which later changed its name to Advancing Opportunities and eventually merged with another organization. This experience gave him firsthand insight into the capabilities of people with disabilities and further reinforced PQM’s mission of inclusivity. The company continues to serve the community with excellence and purpose.

One employee, Doug, stands out. He has been bagging groceries at PQM for over 30 years and, as a part-time employee, has built a wonderful rapport with customers who value his friendliness and assistance. Doug’s longstanding presence reflects the supportive and inclusive culture at PQM.

The store is also proud to partner with five local school districts, along with several private organizations, to offer work-study and internship programs. Through these programs, teachers accompany students as they gain hands-on experience working in various departments throughout the store. For some students, these opportunities have grown into meaningful, long-term employment.

Above & below, participants of The Arc Mercer Occupational Training Program who have found work in the community. (Photos courtesy of The Arc Mercer.)

The Arc of New Jersey

According to its mission, The Arc of New Jersey promotes and protects the human rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.

The Arc of New Jersey’s Project HIRE is a supported employment program designed to connect people with disabilities to integrated paid employment opportunities in their community. Each person is assigned a job coach who will help place them and assist in supporting them until they are fully independent. In addition, job coaches work with high schools by going into the schools and providing guidance to students with IDD and coordinating work-study programs to help them garner experience in community-based businesses. The Arc is currently operating in 21 counties in New Jersey, and has been successful for more than 40 years.

Project HIRE has joined with hundreds of employers and assisted thousands of people with disabilities in finding successful, independent, and paid employment. Some of the champions of these efforts are ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Chili’s, Burlington, Home Depot, and the Hampton Inn.

According to Colleen Collick, director of Project HIRE, “The right support makes successful, meaningful work possible for everyone, including people with disabilities.”

To learn more about this program, email ccollick@projecthire.biz or visit arcnj.org. The contact for The Arc Mercer, a county chapter of The Arc of New Jersey, is Stephen Miller. Email smiller@arcmercer.org or call 609.406.0181 x113.

STARboro Café

STARboro Café, located at the Council Rock STAR Center in Richboro, Pa., is part of the A.C.H.I.E.V.E. transition program for young adults with special needs ages 18-21, providing them with essential work and life skills while serving the community coffee and snacks. It opened in March 2021 as a “training café,” and is a place where students learn communication, time management, flexibility, and social interaction as a stepping stone into meaningful employment. They have great coffee too!

When businesses hire adults with disabilities, they tap into a broader talent pool. In doing so, they foster compassion and kindness in the workplace and in our communities, while also creating a more diverse and inclusive work environment. People can support this mission by being mindful of individuals who may have disabilities and by engaging with them intentionally — simply greeting them with kindness, warmth, and gratitude for their efforts.

Saint Mother Teresa’s famous quote on kindness emphasizes the impact our words we can have on others: “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

Coconut Macaroons
By Mary Abitanto
Makes about 22-24 large cookies

Ingredients:
1 (14-ounce) bag sweetened shredded coconut
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites, at room temperature (from large eggs)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch salt
Optional; 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Other essentials:
Stand mixer with whisk attachment
Medium-sized cookie scoop

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, add the shredded coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla, and mix.

In a stand mixer bowl with whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and add the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Beat until stiff peaks are formed, about 5 minutes.

Carefully fold the whipped egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Use one heaping scoop and drop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and set.

Cool and serve or dip bottoms in chocolate, allow them to harden in the fridge and drizzle more chocolate on top, if desired. Place cookies back in the fridge to harden tops, highly recommended.

Baker’s tip: If the bottoms spread right after baking, you can use an overturned glass to perfectly reshape the bottom while piping hot or your hands.

Note: be sure the stand mixer bowl is dry. Also, do not get any egg yolks into the egg whites, otherwise the egg whites will not whip properly.