Snack With Purpose: How Snack Boxes Create Meaningful Employment
So many times parents of children with special needs wonder, “What is next?” for their children after they age out of school systems. They want their young adults to feel a sense of community, feel needed, and have some responsibilities, leading a fulfilling life. I have had parents ask me what I thought would be the next step, or how to find something meaningful and give their child a sense of community and pride. I found a company that a mom in Saline, Michigan created to fit those needs for her son. Read her brilliant idea, and maybe get inspired for something we could do locally or in any community.
Glow Abilities is a non-profit program started by Nabeela Jaffer, the mom of a 26-year-old nonverbal young man. She knew he was good at following directions and did well with repetitive work. People with different abilities assemble and sell snack boxes using an assembly line format. The mission of this organization is to provide opportunities for enhancing job skills to individuals with different abilities. Their website, glowabilities.org, says this about their vision:” We envision a diverse community where people with different abilities have the opportunity to gain self-sustainable job skills, stay connected with the latest technology, and become productive members of society. The purpose of Glow Abilities is:
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To give learning opportunities and work skills to individuals with different abilities.
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Creating opportunities for providing learning activities to individuals with special needs so that they can participate as valued members of the community
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The corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
There are 4 places where these snack boxes which sell for $10 a box can be found including two stores in Saline, Michigan – Brewed Awakenings Cafe, Nu2U Again Resale Shop, Jafferson Computers in Ypsilanti and on their website: www.glowabilities.org
Creating this job opportunity for individuals with special needs helps build long-term sustainable job skills such as following a process, quality control, how many items to put in a box, and working with other people. They have partnered with Family Education Services to provide skill-building activities. These boxes can also be found on Amazon under Snackyjoy. I am inspired by this mother who saw a problem for her son when she asked herself, “What can he do?” A mother’s love knows no bounds. This non-profit provides a beacon of hope and creates opportunities that change lives.
