I have been living with this dream for a few years, and last year shared it with one of my classes. One of my sweet students asked if she could start a Go Fund Me page because she loved the idea so much. She was too young to be able to create the page on her own so I told her I would think about starting one myself. So, a year later here we are!

 

I have aspirations of opening a coffee truck that employs young adults with developmental disabilities. The hope is that the truck can travel to the high schools that my employees attend so that they can sell coffee at their school’s Friday night football games. The food truck industry is booming, which would give us lots of opportunities to be out in the community at local food truck rallys. These events would give my employees the opportunity to serve their communities and practice their vocational skills!

 

Most people that know me, know of my Uncle Tom. Tom had Down Syndrome and was one of my favorite people in the whole world. The things I learned and experienced because of the Down Syndrome community effected my life in the most influential of ways.

 

My “Coffee with Character” logo is the first thing I have done to get the ball rolling on this dream of mine, and it is my favorite thing! My Uncle Tom kept journals throughout his life. He would write down the NFL matchups for the week, the names of people who visited his house, and other random things. I was able to work with a graphic designer who took one of his old journals and pieced together letters from his writing to form the word “character.” His distinct handwriting being present in my logo is the perfect reminder for why this dream exists!

 

While I feel strange asking for help to really get things started, I am hopeful to raise enough money to buy a used trailer. I would love to find a trailer that needs a little love that I can put some time and effort into in order to create the perfect coffee shop on wheels!