Historically, individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities have not been offered the same opportunities as neurotypical indivduals. For example, they have been unemployed or underemployed despite their desire, willingness, and above all, their ability to work. Maggie's & M.O.R.E aims to
rectify this through a variety of meaningful opportunities.
Our Method
At Maggie's & M.O.R.E, instead of the redundancy and the sheltered nature of opportunities traditionally given to differently-abled individuals, the individuals who are part of Maggie's & M.O.R.E find themselves part of a community, having a social circle, and at the front and center of a business, completing a wide variety of complex but manageable tasks. These tasks include manning a cash register, packing donuts, making coffee, preparing smoothies, creating breakfast sandwiches and paninis, and most of all interacting with customers. Simple modifications have been made to how the Donut Shop is run, and people with intellectual/developmental disabilities work directly with job coaches to ensure their successes with each part of a meaningful work environment.
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Our Story
As a Special Education Teacher/Intervention Specialist, Abra Schweickert noticed that her differently-abled students were more often than not being asked to learn in ways that did not speak to their individual skills and abilities. Her students were being put into classroom situations that either emphasized their weaknesses or limited their successes.
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As Abra's students were exiting the school umbrella, they were not only losing their social connections, but they were struggling to find opportunities to use their skills in a meaningful way. Most opportunities were behind the scenes of the public eye and lacked interactions with the public. When a small donut shop in a college town went up for sale, a dream to change this began and Maggie's & M.O.R.E was born. The desire was to create a meaningful place for individuals that might otherwise not be given that opportunity. At the center and heart of the opportunities would be individuals with unique abilities. People of the community could see and interact with these differently-abled individuals and see their true capabilities. These opportunities have since grown to include social opportunities, opportunities to have a birthday party or be invited to one, connections to their community, learning the process of making soap, and much M.O.R.E.
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"My students were a square peg being asked to fit into a round hole. My job was not to change that square peg, but rather to mold that round hole so they could fit into it with success. This is the foundation behind Maggie's & M.O.R.E."
Success Stories
Kelly
Following high school, Kelly was part of a sheltered workshop setting, but she is capable of so much more! Up until the opening of Maggie's & MORE, Kelly had been spending her days at home. At Maggie's & M.O.R.E, she has developed a circle of friends and has made many connections to the community. She handles all aspects of being a member of our Donut Team independently with just a few easy tweaks of the environment: a color coded cash register, and 3 steps to each task she performs.
Mitchell
Mitchell came to Maggie's & MORE when his family moved into Hiram. Previously, Mitchell has been a participant at UDS and spends his days packaging items in boxes. Maggie's & MORE has offered a more meaningful opportunity for Mitchell. He has charmed the community with his silly personality and his true abilities are able to be showcased. He brings an incredible memory for the tasks asked of him and an amazing skill at running our categorized cash register.