My heart was so full yesterday and my eyes were filled with tears! At yesterday’s press conference, President Trump and his administration invited Small Business owners to share how they benefited from the PPP program. It was my first time learning of Amy Wright and her incredible coffee company, Bitty and Beau’s. It’s mission is described as a “human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop.”
Bitty and Beau’s is staffed entirely by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism. And with the PPP, Wright was able to rehire all 120 of her previously laid off employees and keep them on payroll.
Amy Wright, along with her husband Ben, have four kids, and the youngest two, Bitty and Beau, have Down syndrome. The Wrights have dedicated their life to making the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
80% of people with IDD are unemployed. And Bitty and Beau’s has greatly filled that need by employing people with disabilities. They have been flooded with applications since they opened, and have grown their coffee company to 5 locations.
Bitty and Beau’s offers an amazing environment for the employees. One member of the crew, Jesse, says her job gives her confidence and helps her grow as a person. And that her job brings her joy and happiness. Another employee, Stephanie, likes working at Bitty and Beau’s because she has new friends. And because she likes to make delicious frappes and cappuccinos.
Not only are the employees happy, but customers describe the staff as so friendly and cheerful and that Bitty and Beau’s is a heart-warming experience. Wright says that “everyone that walks through the doors here leaves with a new perspective.”
Bitty and Beau’s is changing the way people see people and at yesterday’s press conference, Michael Heup, an employee spoke to the administration. “At Bitty and Beau’s we like to use the phrase called ‘not broken.’ That means me and all my amazing coworkers are not broken and we have lots to offer. I know the great country of the United States is not broken either.”
It’s a sad reality in our world today that not all life is valued and treated as equal. But Bitty and Beau’s remind us that all life, and all persons, no matter how big or small, should be valued, included, and celebrated.
-Vianca Joy
To learn more about Bitty and Beau’s and to support the cause while the storefronts are closed check out BittyandBeauscoffee.com
Vianca Joy 