A Eureka mom has started a nonprofit to provide an inclusive space for her daughter and other teens and young adults to find a community and learn job skills.
Rebecca Flieg said last year she noticed her 15-year-old daughter, Selah, who has an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD), was struggling with loneliness. Selah is mostly kept separate from general education students at school and participates in different extracurricular activities, making it increasingly more difficult for her to gain social skills, Rebecca said.
The feelings of isolation increase over the summer, when Selah doesn’t have school events to look forward to.
“Everything is separate,” Rebecca said. “I know there are good intentions behind this, but what you lose is that normalcy you feel when you go to a sports event or a concert – just being a part of everyday life. It was a really dark time. She was very lonely.”
But there was one place where Selah felt a sense of community, Rebecca said. Last summer, Rebecca walked to the La Finca Coffee shop daily with Selah, and the baristas there would greet her daughter by name and ask how her day was going.
“It would make such a difference – it was scary how much of a difference it would make,” Rebecca said. “So, I got an idea. My husband (Derek) and I are in the restaurant industry, and we were thinking, what if we opened a restaurant?”
The restaurant would have a customized employment walk-up window, Rebecca said, perfect for Selah to serve customers and practice social skills. Rebecca said she also would have the assurance that Selah would have a secure job in place after high school, if she still wanted to work there.
The for-profit restaurant will be called Loving Cup, and Rebecca said she already has a location in Wildwood in mind for the business.
Also born from their daily coffee runs was the idea for Selah’s Snack Cart, a nonprofit where students and employees prepare no-bake, no-fry, no-grill snacks and drinks at various community events. The nonprofit held its kickoff fundraiser at the Wildwood Farmers Market on May 23, with lots of success and community support, Rebecca said. Menu items for both Selah’s Snack Cart and Loving Cup were tested at the event.
“The big dream with Selah’s Snack Cart is to eventually find a brick and mortar for that, and to be able to employ kids, and provide front-facing social vocational programs, educational programs and jobs,” Rebecca said. “We’re testing potential items for Selah’s Snack Cart to make in the future (at the farmers market). It’s a great opportunity to see how we’re received, and the reception has been really something else.”
Selah’s Snack Cart and Loving Cup will return to Wildwood Farmers Market, 221 Plaza Drive, this Saturday, selling matcha, cold brew coffee and other drinks.
Rebecca said going forward, they will pick a few select farmers market dates to sell products at and will also participate in Celebrate Wildwood on Sept. 19. She’s also looking at participating in Eureka Days in the fall.
For information on the nonprofit and upcoming fundraising dates, visit the Selah’s Snack Cart Facebook page or selahssnackcart.org.
Rebecca said the current job climate for people with IDD is “dire.” The employment rate for adults with IDD is much lower than the general population, at about 23 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Many people with disabilities must rely on job programs, sheltered workshops or nonprofits for employment, which can be unstable at times as funding comes and goes, Rebecca said.
Because of the uncertainties in employment, many parents create small businesses where their children with IDDs can work. Rebecca said many of these business owners reached out to her when she announced Selah’s Snack Cart and Loving Cup.
“It’s inspiring, but it was also kind of painful in a way, just to see how there’s nothing for us,” she said. “These parents all across the country are just making businesses for their kids to have joy and purpose and be a part of life.”
A good start
Many friends and family members came to help at the nonprofit’s launch on May 23, Rebecca said. Her husband, Derek, and their son, Noah, 14, along with chef Gary Suarez, cooked chilaquiles and Mexican street corn, and prepared onigiri and salad in a jar to sell at the market.
Selah’s former teacher, Megan Mathes, at LaSalle Springs Middle School, came to the market to show her support.
“I think the mission of Selah’s Snack Cart is incredibly meaningful and so important,” she said. “Creating opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to build social connections, gain confidence and develop job skills is something that has such a lasting impact. I love that Selah’s Snack Cart focuses not only on job training, but also on creating real social experiences and meaningful connections for individuals beyond the school setting.”
Mathes said Selah is a sweet, loving and caring student.
“She truly enjoys connecting with both her peers and the adults around her, and you can tell relationships are very important to her,” Mathes said. “It has been so special to watch her build confidence and connections both inside and outside the classroom.”
Lafayette High School Principal Karen Calcaterra also stopped by the booth. Selah recently finished her freshman year at Lafayette High, and Calcaterra said it’s important to support her students both inside and outside the classroom.
“I was blown away by how many people from our schools showed up,” she said. “It was a really exciting day, for sure. Selah was in the booth for a little bit of the time that I was there, greeting customers, waving and giving out high fives. You could tell that she was just so excited when she recognized people who were coming up to the booth.”
Rebecca said the experience was a little overwhelming for Selah, and so the nonprofit will pare down its farmers market appearances to what she feels comfortable with.
Future plans
Rebecca said her big dream would be to form an IDD Chamber of Commerce, connecting businesses and nonprofit organizations that employ people with disabilities.
While it can be difficult to find jobs, it’s especially difficult for people with IDD to form a community, she said.
“I think that the number one need for people with disabilities – it’s not programs, it’s not services, it’s not all the stuff they teach in school, it’s friends,” Rebecca said. “You can be taught how to use a computer and use a register, but if you don’t have the social skills to use those, you’re in trouble.”
Once Selah’s Snack Cart is in a brick and mortar, Rebecca said she plans to team up with the Special School District and the Rockwood School District to host field trips for special education classes. In addition, Rebecca is in talks with leaders from the Best Buddies program for Loving Cup to be a host site for club activities. Best Buddies is an organization that encourages friendships between general education students and students with IDD, and has national and international club chapters in elementary, middle and high schools.
“I think the sky is the limit,” Calcaterra said. “It would be a great opportunity in any community. I’m excited to see where this all goes. I’m just ecstatic that there are going to be some options and additional opportunities to offer in our community.”