I was sent an email from Gina at Espresso Partners about a very special story about a fellow barista. I wanted to share her email and am excited to hear about Em's success given her special needs. Go Em!

- Matt

A Very Special Barista

I had the pleasure of meeting Em about a month ago, after she was referred to us by Kevin Kapaun of Specialty Java, a local Minnesota roaster. Em came to Espresso Partners’ Minnesota training facility, accompanied by her job coach Jerri Reisner, and her mother Tami. This would be their first barista training, and would unknowingly end as one of my most rewarding.

Em was born with a congenital birth defect, called Agenesis of the Corpus Collosum. The corpus collosum is the fibrous tissue that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. It is basically the “train station”, where all of the electrical impulses of the brain pass through. When Em was born, her parents were told to institutionalize her, as she would not be able to walk, talk, sit up, or function in general. It was soon learned, that repetition and routine were the keys to assist Em in her every day functions and tasks.

Em’s parents, long time small business owners in their town, along with some other members of the community, decided that the town needed a coffee house. The town’s economy was ripe, for a new small business that would allow people to have a great place to meet, as well as a place to have an awesome cup of coffee. They decided that this could be an amazing opportunity for Em, who most recently was employed by the Goodwill Industries in Independence, IA, to become a barista and an entrepreneur. Jerri Reisner, Em’s job coach was to be a partner in this venture.

Em has two job coaches, who have worked with her and supported her, in this new adventure into the galaxy of the coffee community. She is getting assistance from Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation, and the State of Iowa Work Force Development has taken a special interest in Em. They have contracted with the University of Iowa to film her, as they are doing a documentary on self-employment for adults with special needs.

When we began, I had no idea what a barista training program for special needs young adults, would entail. But as we moved forward, a lot of great tools were thought up. Utilizing the automatic and efficient design of the La Marzocco Swift grinder, we placed bright orange dots of paint to help line up the portafilter with the grinder collar. Similar dots were also used on the groups of a La Marzocco Linea. Audible clues, like an almost “growl”, were emphasized to teach the tightness of the portafilter when it is properly placed firmly in the group head. Using the automatic, volumetric touch pads on the Linea, we created a system that matched each drink size to a particular button. Initially, Em’s parents were a little nervous about her steaming milk. But after coming up with a tight procedure of milk sounds, smaller frothing pitchers, and larger faced thermometers, we practiced and practiced until she finally nailed it. Fabulous flash cards were designed by Em’s job coach Jerri Reisner, with pictures, the “words” and descriptions. The great flash cards are used for memorization. Some day, I imagine that latte art will be a possibility.

Currently, the staff at the coffee house includes Em, her two job coaches, and a few other special needs young adults. One of the great benefits to her staff is that they are all paid minimum wage, instead of the $1.50- $5.00 that they could possibly be making at other employment opportunities in town.

After leaving there last week after another on site training, I saw Em making mochas, lattes, and pouring coffee. I left Em & Jerri’s Coffee Company realizing that anything is possible on this planet earth.

Follow Em on Facebook @Em and Jerri’s Coffee Company

Gina Palandri

Sales and Training Manager

Espresso Partners, Inc.

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Matt;

thanks very much for posting this.

Gina Palandri
Espresso Partners
I must have something in my eyes. They're wet.
This is great. We are currently doing the same thing at our bakery. One of our employees is learning vocational skills with the assistance of a job coach. She works part-time, and has a short list of job requirements. She knows what her jobs are, and does pretty well at them. Her job coach comes in once a week to evaluate her progress. The employee appointed to be her supervisor has to help her stay focused, but she does pretty well, I think.

It's rewarding to see her making progress, and it's encouraging to know that there are other companies doing the same.
Awesome Gina I think its great that you took the time to come up with a way for Em to make real drinks and not just put a super auto in. What a wonderful gift for her to have something she can take pride in and be part of the community. GOOD WORK
That is just wonderful. Thanks.
Hello Gina,
Thank you for passing this on and also to Matt for posting it. I have a special needs grandson.
Merry Christmas All!
-Richard
This story just made my day.

Thank you Gina for sharing and thank you Matt for posting this.

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