Our March Informational Tour took us to Gerry’s Cafe in Arlington Heights.
Founded by Natalie Griffin and Amy Philpott, Gerry’s Café was created to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities. After years of planning, networking, fundraising, and just plain hard work, Gerry’s Café opened in August, 2023, and its 42 employees with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been serving up a cup of joy ever since.
Employees work up to 12 hours a week in 2 to 4-hour shifts while earning a competitive minimum wage. Every employee also has the opportunity to learn all the jobs within the cafe such as cashier, sandwich maker, barrista, and more.
In addition to their location at 1802 N. Arlington Heights Road, the cafe is exploring different pop-up locations within the community as well as an expansion into catering, and they would love to see additional Gerry’s Cafe locations in the future.
Many thanks to Natalie Griffin for facilitating our tour. To learn more about Gerry’s Cafe or to subscribe to their newsletter, visit their website at: gerryscafe.org
CTC Educational Outreach events are designed to provide families, educators, and service providers with useful information related to the transition process as well as life in the community after educational entitlements end. Events are supported in part by agency funding from Palatine Township. Thank you for your support!
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