New cafe teaches skills training to intellectually challenged youth in Kingston – Kingston | 24CA News
A brand new cafe has opened in a Kingston, Ont., area and it’s serving up greater than meals.
The CommUnity Cafe, positioned in Centre 70 area within the metropolis’s west finish, is run by a neighborhood program that helps younger adults with particular wants study essential expertise.
The cafe might have solely opened two weeks in the past nevertheless it’s already making a distinction.
“[Working the] cash I like, I guess because you get to count money and take people’s orders,” mentioned program participant Connor Wright.
“The amount of growth and progress that they’ve done even in two weeks is just phenomenal,” mentioned Bloom Skills Centre Executive Director Amber Potter.
The Bloom Skills Centre is a non-profit group in Kingston that operates the cafe.
“To make the jump for young people with exceptionalities between school and employment, there’s sort of a big gap and it’s that it’s that catch-22 scenario where employers want you to have skills and experiences, but then without the opportunity to practice those skills, then it’s hard to get employment,” added Potter.
That’s why she says Bloom Skills Centre was created — to assist younger adults with mental and developmental disabilities, like autism or OCD, put together for future employment.
“I would like to continue working here or work in the retail industry,” mentioned Robert Roques, one other participant.
“I’m not great at math so I’ve learned more skills with math,” added program participant Ali Woods.
Currently there are seven folks on employees on the cafe with alternating shifts.
While they don’t seem to be being paid, participating is free and this system works to seek out them paid positions with bigger corporations like Starbucks and Costco.
With assist from town and extra grants, Blooms Skills Centre turned a vacant area canteen into a preferred cafe.
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“Here in the west end, we don’t have a coffee shops down here near Reddendale area so this is a really nice location,” mentioned Wendy Stephen, Kingston metropolis councillor for the realm.
However, it’s not nearly supporting the trigger.
“The food is great; the soup is beautifully homemade,” mentioned Denise Missere, a buyer on the cafe.
The Bloom Skills Centre hopes to develop and supply extra skills-training applications.
“We’ve even talked about maybe a food truck in the future,” mentioned Potter.
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