CARING CAFE: Venture aims to help developmentally disabled clients fit into the workforce

WASILLA — An organization dedicated to helping Valley residents with developmental and other disabilities is getting into the café business as a way to further help the clients it serves.

Hearts and Hands of Care, an Anchorage-based provider with an office in Wasilla, recently celebrated the grand opening of the Hearts and Hands of Care Cafe, located at 1590 Financial Dr., at the corner of he Parks and Palmer-Wasilla highways. The café opened earlier this year in the space formerly occupied by Mocha Me Crazy.

The idea is a simple one — an employment opportunity that not only satisfies a plan-of-care requirement, but also gives longevity and builds a work history for clients that often can be shuffled from job to job.

Part of the services Hearts and Hands of Care provides is to place developmentally disabled clients with local businesses through a supported employment program, according to Wasilla office manager Nicole Rosevear. The program typically pairs a job coach with a client, which can oftentimes present a problem for a potential employer.

“People don’t have a problem hiring someone with a disability, but sometimes having the job coaches created a problem for some of the businesses — they often felt the job coach was a liability,” Rosevear said.

Rosevear said a conversation with CEO Kisha Smaw on a potential business venture quickly went from concept to reality last spring.

“She mentioned something about this place becoming available and away we went,” Rosevear said.

The café manager is Kamarae Kaina, a job coach in the Valley for the last four years. She said the concept of using the business to serve Hearts and Hands clients is unique.

“I have worked at a lot of different places and I can say this is one of a kind,” she said. “We have people who only feel comfortable doing dishes, then there are others who completely prep food on their own. They check in to let us know what they’re doing then check in when they are done so we can make sure they completed the task correctly.” Kaina said she is even training a few to make coffee.

The group supported work model places two clients with one job coach.

“The job coach is there to support, not to boss,” Kaina said. “They are there to remind them to clock in or tie their apron.”

Rosevear said part of the plan of care for many of the Hearts and Hands clients is to work on individualized goals, like clocking in and out, or socialization goals related to customer service.

“They can be as independent or get as much help as they like,” Kaina said.

Rosevear said all the clients have set schedules, adding that she discovered early on that many of the workers hadn’t gotten the full experience of applying for a job.

“I wanted them to have the same experience as everyone else, so I have them fill out an application and schedule an interview,” Rosevear said. “They got all dressed up and came in. Many had not had that experience before of waiting by the phone or being interviewed. It was great.”

Rosevear said early on she was concerned about there being enough work for the group.

“That hasn’t been a problem,” she said. “They are finding things to do and asking for more.”

Kaina said the employment opportunities at the café were building longevity for their clients’ resumes.

“Being able to have that longevity in a place where they feel appreciated goes a long way,” she said. “When it’s a good fit, it’s great. Often they are put into a job and don’t always fit. We really try to individualize that.”

Plus, Kaina said watching them flourish in the work was rewarding.

“Two people in here can cook better than I can,” she said. “It gives them that sense of accomplishment and doesn’t make coming to work a chore. This is a good example of why it’s beneficial to hire people with disabilities.”

On the business side, along with myriad coffee options, Kaina said the café is staying with many of the popular menu items from the Mocha Me Crazy menu, like the reindeer sausage breakfast burrito and chicken wraps. They have added new grilled wraps, Panini sandwiches and more salads, Kaina said, and are striving to create a more homemade menu.

“We are hoping to offer vegetarian and vegan options,” Kaina said. “Plus, some of the individuals have food goals in their plan of care, so we will try to meet those with a healthy menu.”

Rosevear said Hearts and Hands of Care is hoping to expand into other types of businesses like janitorial service. They’re also aiming to serve people that have higher levels of disability because of the difficulty in finding work.

But for now, the Wasilla café is serving as the test case.

“We wanted to see how it worked here first,” Rosevear said, “and so far it has been great. Once local businesses see what we are able to do, I think they will be more receptive to hiring those with a disability.”

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com