Mi Work Matters is a nonprofit dedicated to improving job opportunities in Michigan, where the rate of employment for people with developmental disabilities is below 20%.
Their mission statement notes that, “At Mi Work Matters, we believe the hopes, dreams and talents of every person matter” (1).
In order to help bridge the employment gap in Michigan, Mi Work Matters recently opened Anastasia and Katie’s Coffee Shop and Café. The shop is named after two teens with Down syndrome, whose parents, Kelly Rockwell (Anastasia’s mother) and Dan Duffy (Katie’s father), are involved in Mi Work Matters. The shop is located at 19215 Merriman Road in Livonia, a suburb of Detroit.
Kelly Rockwell, a Mi Work Matters board member and the mother of Anastasia, told The Detroit News that she hopes the coffee shop “will serve as something to start the conversation about what it might look like for [other employers] to hire somebody with a disability…”
The employees at Anastasia and Katie’s Coffee Shop and Café seem to like working there. Danielle Donaldson, who has Turner’s syndrome and scoliosis, told The Detroit News that she has enjoyed learning to use the cash register, and that “[Customers] are really easy to talk to.”
Ian Edgar, who has cerebral palsy, echoed that sentiment: “I like being able to talk to people. I could talk to people all day long” (2).
Want to support Anastasia and Katie’s Coffee Shop and Café?
If you live in Southeastern Michigan, consider stopping by 19215 Merriman Road in Livonia. They serve coffee, tea, breakfast, and lunch, and are currently open from 7am-2pm Monday-Friday and 8am-3pm on Saturdays. Click here for more info or to subscribe for updates!
Anastasia and Katie’s also accepts donations, as they are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies heavily on volunteers. Click here if you would like to make a contribution!
About the HIE Help Center
The HIE Help Center is run by ABC Law Centers, a medical malpractice firm exclusively handling cases involving hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy, and other birth injuries.
We are passionate about helping families obtain the compensation necessary to cover their extensive medical bills, loss of wages (if one or both parents have to miss work in order to care for their child), assistive technology, and other necessities.
Other recent blog posts
- Michigan House of Representatives to Vote on Adult Changing Table Implementation
- New Accessible Playground in Edmonds, Washington Honors Boy with Cerebral Palsy
- Holiday Social Stories
- Spotlight on Inventors and Innovators with Disabilities
- Our 15 Favorite Children’s Books that Discuss Disabilities
Sources
- Meaningful employment for people with developmental disabilities across Michigan. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://www.miworkmatters.org/mission-1
- Williams, C. (2020, January 29). Livonia coffee shop a springboard for workers with disabilities. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2020/01/29/livonia-coffee-shop-springboard-workers-disabilities/4491577002/
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