FORKS TWP., Pa. — A cup of coffee can help support education for disabled individuals looking to learn new skills.
And, by all accounts, it's a great cup of coffee, too.
If that appeals to you, swing by Colonial Café 71 off Danforth Drive.
The small coffee shop within Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 opened to the public Thursday morning, turning out fresh cups of signature-blend drinks.
And it found a crowd eager to encourage the staff of the café in the mission to broaden their education and showcase new skills.
“Now that we have a cafe and our students are thriving and our students are learning the skills that they need for supported or independent employment, it has truly been a game changer for not only our districts, our community, but us as well here at the main office.”Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 Director of Special Education Kasey Kinney
Prior to the shop’s opening, representatives from CIU20 painted a picture of how the innovative operation came together to create an inspiring employment opportunity.
IU Director of Special Education Kasey Kinney described the day as “filled with excitement, joy and purpose as we gather to celebrate a new beginning.”
“This cafe is more than just a place for great coffee, sweet treats and warm smiles," Kinney said. "It's a symbol of inclusion, a symbol of empowerment and community spirit.
“Our cafe has a special mission to provide meaningful training for our students to one day have supported or independent employment opportunities.
"Here they will not only showcase their skills, talents and unique traits, but also remind us of the incredible value of diversity and inclusion in our community.”
Plenty of thanks
Kinney thanked representatives from the 13 school districts in attendance, as well as state reps. Milou Mackenzie and Joe Emrick, and representatives from the offices of state Sen. Lisa Boscola and state Rep. Ann Flood’s office.
Also, Seth & Co. Special Brew, a non-profit coffee shop focused on employing adults with special needs and promoting an inclusive working environment.
But the biggest thanks went out to staff who went out of their way to help those students learn the ropes, and, of course, the incredible and energetic staff of Colonial Café 71.
“The absolute gift of coming and working with students here at the main office is one of the best things I've ever experienced in my life,” Kinney said. “Being able to go out in the classrooms is absolutely amazing.
"But now that we have a cafe and our students are thriving and our students are learning the skills that they need for supported or independent employment, it has truly been a game changer for not only our districts, our community, but us as well here at the main office.”
'This is a win-win'
According to CIU 20 Executive Director Christopher Wolfel, the inspiration for the café came in 2018 as he sat daydreaming in a Starbucks.
Wolfel said he was considering how much coffee plays a role in his life, whether it was his wife or daughter asking to pick up a latte, or finding a Wawa, Sheetz, Starbucks, Dunkin or mom-and-pop shop in the community.
As he glanced around the Starbucks, Wolfel said, he picked up on the relaxed vibe, with people happily interacting with friends and family or engaging in work meetings.
“So I started thinking about, ‘How do we create that same atmosphere here at our main office for all the people that work here: relaxation, production, people smiling and enjoying the work life?’” Wolfel said.
“But then I also noticed something else, and it was the people behind the counter. They were taking orders. They were programming orders into their computer.
"They were processing the payments, they were making the coffee, they were packaging meals, interacting with their colleagues, interacting with customers.
"And I went, ‘Whoa! This is pretty amazing. These are opportunities. This is a win-win. It's a win for our workplace environment, but it's also a win for the students that we serve.'”
'Social skills skyrocket'
In the setup of a coffee shop, Wolfel said, he saw an opportunity to train disabled students key life skills that could be used in future employment or other opportunities, making for competitive employment for those individuals.
Engaging in conversations with coworkers and customers could help increase language development; interacting with the public could help create more awareness of disabilities and the capabilities of those who have them.
“And what did we see? Well, we saw our students learning job skills that can be replicated in adult life, out in all these different business areas, because there's a lot of coffee shops out there."CIU 20 Executive Director Christopher Wolfel
Wolfel had to put his idea for a coffee shop with a mission on hold until after the coronavirus pandemic, and when his predecessor was set to retire, the concept was at the top of his list for new initiatives.
By 2022, Wolfel and other staff members at CIU20 were floating ideas for the café and taking the first steps toward making it a reality.
By 2023, Colonial Café 71 had its soft opening, “an opening to train,” as Wolfel described it.
“And what did we see? Well, we saw our students learning job skills that can be replicated in adult life, out in all these different business areas, because there's a lot of coffee shops out there," Wolfel said.
"We didn't just see language development increase. We saw language development skyrocket in some of our students. We saw their social skills skyrocket.
"We saw their self-esteem increase. We saw a sense of pride in our students, and we saw a passion that they had for serving others.”
'Very good place to learn'
Family members of the new café staff saw a strong sense of pride, hope and a sense that they too could potentially work toward independence.
Wolfel said he hopes to soon expand Colonial Café 71’s reach, encouraging local businesses to reach out to them if they need some Joe for a meeting, and maybe even open up a Colonial Café 71 in their own office.
"Your parents are unfortunately not always going to be there. So you need to learn how to stand on your own two feet, you know?”Colonial Café 71 cashier Charlote Nasatka
Wolfel said it’s a great chance to “create more and more opportunities for our students to be able to have those work experiences, and we can do that for your business.”
Right after the ceremonial ribbon-cutting, Colonial Café 71 staff provided visitors with samples of their signature drinks — with the suggestion that if they enjoyed it, they should stop by the café and grab a full-sized cup.
And plenty of people did, keeping the excited staff busy.
“It's great," cashier Charlote Nasatka said. "The teachers are great here. It's a nice community. I'm truly very happy here. It's a very nice place.”
Nasatka said she has worked at Café 71 since its soft launch, and has learned to clean, cook, handle money and “basically learn how to live on your own."
"Which in my opinion is the most important thing you need to learn in life, because your parents are unfortunately not always going to be there.
“So you need to learn how to stand on your own two feet, you know?”
Nasatka said she loves working with people at the café, as she’s particularly active, and has a lot to do at home with two sisters, “so I’m used to having craziness.”
But that craziness also has taught her plenty of valuable skills that she hopes to harness for an independent future, something she said she hopes her colleagues and future coworkers also can accomplish.
“So it’s very, very fun working here," Nasatka said. "The other people and the kids are nice here; I just love it here.
"It’s a very good community, and I would definitely recommend it to parents for their children to go to school. It’s a very good place to learn."
