[T]he Nest Coffee House offers young adults with disabilities a safe and supportive atmosphere, while also teaching them the skills to be able fly on their own. As a program of A Little Compassion Inc., the café’s mission is to provide young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities an opportunity to gain work experience and confidence in a setting that’s grounded in acceptance and support.
Jane Moen founded the business in part for her daughter Kaylee, who was diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
“When I was a kid, a teen, I struggled a lot after my diagnosis,” says Kaylee to WTHN News. “I only ever saw other people struggling and not knowing what they would do with their future—I never met an adult who got through it.”
She now works as a shift supervisor at the shop. Kaylee is among nearly 20 other individuals who are beginning their careers at The Nest.
The Nest is celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, June 8, in Deep River, Connecticut, featuring a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:00 a.m., followed by coffee sampling, face painting, coloring contest, free ice cream pup cups and biscotti, and a scavenger hunt.
