ADA, Mich — It's a place that gives people with special needs a chance to show their abilities.
A non-profit coffee shop that employs young people with disabilities is expanding. "Brody's Be Cafe" opened in Ada in 2019.
Jenny Cole founded Brody's Be Cafe with the sole purpose of giving work experience to local youth with special needs, including her son Brody.
"Our special needs employees have gained a lot of confidence, we have some who started out with us a year and a half ago who were pretty non-verbal," says Cole.
Tracey Beemer was so moved by the experience that she is now planning on opening a sister location of the cafe in the Hudsonville area.
"We are modeling after Brody's and we do have a site and we are currently in the build out and hopefully opening in the Spring," says Beemer.
And if that wasn't enough there are also plans to partner with Special Olympics Michigan, which is building a center for athletes in West Michigan.
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