The unemployment rate of individuals with disabilities is twice the rate of people without disabilities and is among the highest of any demographic group. A local business in Roanoke is making strides to provide employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities in the area.

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Chris’s Coffee and Custard plans to open their doors in Roanoke, Va., in March 2020 with the intention of creating employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities. They are the first of their kind in the area.

 

“A lot of people think that our young adults with special abilities are not able to work and that’s just totally not correct,” said Beth Woodrum, Executive Director. “They have such special gifts and talents that even we don’t have. They look at things differently and see different opportunities than we do.”

 

Woodrum led the creation of a comprehensive training program, LoveABLE services, that will be used to train and prepare people with disabilities for a job at Chris’s Coffee and Custard. 

 

“I wanted the comprehensive program, but I find that when they finish those training programs, then the success of employment isn’t nearly as high,” Woodrom said. “That’s why I wanted to have a job site for them to be able to finish the training and then have that opportunity for employment.” 

 

Woodrum’s son, Chris, is the inspiration behind this initiative.

 

“He is my youngest son and he has Down Syndrome,” Woodrum said. “When he was in ninth grade and he was starting to do some job training, I started thinking there’s got to be something longterm that I can do for Chris and for his friends and other young adults in the Roanoke area.”

 

The building where Chris’s Coffee and Custard will be located is under renovations and is expected to be complete in January 2020. The employees then undergo the two-month LoveABLE Services job training program. The doors are projected to open in March 2020.