CENTER LINE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Whether you want a latte, a macchiato or a mocha — the workers at Gather + Grounds in Center Line are ready to make anything your coffee loving heart desires.
But while the team is serving up delightful drinks and sandwiches, the coffee house is also serving up job skills to students with intellectual disabilities, trained by expert staff.
“I do the drip coffee. I also help ... set up bowls. I help with the tea, like espresso machine. A lot of it,” said Chris Vice, a Rising Stars Academy student.
Vice is one of the students training at the 4,000 square foot business — it’s the latest initiative by the Rising Stars Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to giving young adults with intellectual disabilities a place to thrive.
“If we don't challenge them with their hands and if they don't have a finished product, besides understanding something in a book, then how are they going to relate things to the real world?” said Mark Prentiss, founder of the Rising Stars Foundation.
Nearly a decade ago, we paid a visit to Rising Stars Academy in Center Line — a post-secondary school focused on helping those young adults 18-26 get those critical job skills; they have a garden, wood shop, bakery, food production facility and more.
The academy started with 26 students, but now that number has ballooned.
“We have 100 students in the academy and we have between 65 and 80 of our consumers. Now we have 17 vehicles. We have a bakery that serves over 75 clients in metropolitan Detroit. We are the commissary for Beyond Juice ... obviously, the education and just and now we have Gather + Grounds,” said Prentiss.
All the while, the mission has remained the same: to be a place of belonging, equipping adults with special needs with the necessary skills to participate to their full potential within the community.
“I learned mostly how to keep dishes clean, how to bake, how to make coffee, how to ... be around people, because I'm very nervous around people,” said Vice.
And Gather + Grounds is the most recent extension of the Rising Stars mission.
“The more that they work with their hands, there's less discipline problems, because they're busy. Their mind is not wandering, because they're like, 'oh, I got to study this,' or the anxiety. They're working to develop things,” said Prentiss.
Aside from the coffee, sandwiches and soups, Gather + Grounds is a space for community. People can host events or parties; it’s also just a place for the students to hold activities.
“I want it to make money to pay the bills. But that's not really the intent of it. This is not made to make tons of money. It's made for the experience of what we do and for how to move forward,” said Prentiss.
It's all in an effort to stir up an environment that not only fosters growth, but also a level of acceptance.
“It shows other people that I could actually do things even if I have a disability,” said Vice.
Gather + Grounds just opened its doors last week. Prentiss said the students are interning as they learn the job skills, and there will be a few paid positions available in the near future.
"It's about these kids. It's about the 48 employees we have ... it's about all these things that we build," said Prentiss.
Gather + Grounds in Center Line
Address: 25709 Van Dyke Ave, Center Line, MI 48015
Hours: Monday-Friday (7am-4pm), Saturday (9a-12pm)
