Leesburg church opens coffee shop run by young adults with autism

LEESBURG \u2015 A new coffee shop in town is brewing up more than just coffee, cappuccinos, frappes and tea. It’s providing job skills and meaningful social interaction for people with disabilities.

GraceWay Grounds & Caf\u00e9, an outreach ministry of GraceWay Church at Radio Road and Morningside Drive, officially launched Oct. 15 and is run by young adults with autism, who learn valuable employment skills while making new friends among peers and area residents.

The 25-seat shop, located in the church’s newly renovated youth building, is open from 7 to 10 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays with entertainment and or activities, offering hot and cold drinks, including flavored iced coffees and cappuccinos, hot cocoa and tea via donation only. Baked goods will be added soon.

The shop is seeking workers, dubbed interns, and their job coaches as well as leaders to supervise operations, in addition to the few they have already. All the positions are volunteer for now.

“We want to change the way people see young adults with disabilities -- we want them to be seen as active, valued members of the community,” said Berta Kellan, founder and director of GraceWay Grounds, who served as the church’s director of children’s ministry from 2011-14 and 2018-19.

“They can build job skills and friendships, and have social interaction with others here,” Kellan said. “We are providing a place to come hang out, and create a sense of purpose for them.”

The idea for the shop was ignited by Kellan’s frustration when seeking transitional life skills for her son, Matthew, who has autism, when he graduated high school several years ago.

Appalled at Florida’s lack of services, the family moved back to Michigan so their son could receive jobs skills, find employment and remain active with social outings with peers.

When Kellan returned to GraceWay in 2018 after a four-year hiatus, the idea burned even brighter.

“The coffee shop has been on my heart for years, but I couldn’t do it on my own,” said Kellan, 63, a mother of seven adult children and grandmother of four. “I wanted to bring to light the need for resources for these young people in Lake County.”

Kellan got her chance when the Rev. Shawn Smith became GraceWay’s new pastor a few months ago.

“When I heard about Berta’s dream to launch a coffee shop that would empower young people with autism spectrum disorder, I knew we had to help this idea become a reality,” Smith said. “I am excited to see what God is going to do with this project and pray that it will be a blessing to Lake County families.”

Kellan said church volunteers and typical peers from the community will be paired with each worker, helping them set up the shop each morning, taking and filling orders, as well as cleanup.

For now, the shop is seeking young adults from 18 to 35 with disabilities, especially with autism, as well as typical peers to work alongside them in one to two-hour shifts.

“We are not a business; we are a ministry that’s reaching out to kids and the community to bring about awareness -- they need our help,” Kellan said.

Job seekers should have verbal skills and be able to learn how to run GraceWay Grounds.

Matthew, Kellan’s son, will return to FloridaNov. 1 to help with the shop and show others the skills he learned while working in a variety of restaurants and businesses up North.

Eventually, the church hopes to expand the ministry to more job-training skills and even field trips. Game nights, karaoke and coffeehouse-type entertainment are envisioned, too.

“It’s in God’s hands,” Kellan said. “He’s put in on my heart, and I’m hoping and praying that the community will be here to show support and help it grow.”

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