SCOTTSBURG, Ind. (WHAS11) - Coffee is a necessity for most of us, but what if your daily dose could make a difference?
That's the idea behind a new shop in southern Indiana. It will hire people with special needs, and it's a personal cause for the pair of moms who own it.
Pamala Campbell and Christie Siekman started Inspired Grounds Café to help individuals with special needs. Both of their sons have Down syndrome, and they want to give them great job opportunities. The moms said the school system provides a lot of great support for students like their boys, but it's a different story once they graduate.
“There's not a lot of places that take the time to hire them and train them like they need to be trained. It's repetition with them,” Campbell said. "So, we decided to fix that. We say different ability is what we usually say."
The coffee shop just started a Facebook page and GoFundMe, and it's already gotten a lot of attention. Somebody is renting them the building for a great rate, and another person offered to pay for the utilities.
"Because it's happening so fast, it's a little overwhelming in a good way,” Campbell said. "The community will be better with this place in it."
They're still in need of lots of donations to get the shop up and running.
“We still need all of the appliances. We need counters. We need cabinets,” Campbell said.
The team's dreams aren't just reserved for coffee, either.
“Eventually, we'd like to add a bakery so we can do our own food in here. From there, we'll go with a consignment shop,” Campbell said.
They also want to add an activities area run by an occupational therapist. It will offer classes like gardening, painting, and fitness. There will also be a sensory area. It's a big and bold vision, but one its visionaries know will make the community and its coffee even better.
"This is going to be a nice little gem within this community,” Siekman’s husband, Mark Siekman, said. "I think this will be a very happy coffee shop. Anybody who needs a quick pick-me-up whether that's with caffeine or just a hello, they're going to get it here."
Inspired Grounds is hoping to open up by the fall.
►Contact reporter Sara Wagner at swagner@WHAS11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Sara) and Facebook.