Inspire Coffee House brews compassion and opportunity along with coffee
“You belong.” Those words, inscribed in large letters across the back wall of Inspire Coffee House, embody the ethos of this place.
Launched in January 2023 by nondenominational Grace Church, the coffee house arose out of Inspire Discipleship, a community service offshoot of the church’s special needs ministry, called Mosaic. “From that program, we saw that all of our Inspire people had some form of employability,” says Pastor Joe Clarey, who directs the Mosaic program. We saw a need and wanted to create something, so we looked around and felt a coffee shop would be a great thing for our people.”
Inspire Coffee House is located in the renovated clubhouse of Front Porch Housing, a separate 501(c)3 established by Grace Church. “Front Porch is a supportive living program where individuals can come for two to three years and we help them get back up on their feet or get out of a bad situation,” Clarey explains.
Motivation through Caffeine at Inspire Coffee House
Employing 13 baristas on rotating shifts, the coffee house serves Bridge City Coffee and pastries—coffee cake, scones, muffins, brownies, cookies—made by Hobnob & Hero’s, a home bakery that also hires adults with diverse abilities. As paid employees of Grace Church, Inspire staff members receive on-the-job training. They are taught how to open and close the shop, how to work the register (Inspire only accepts credit cards), clean-up duties, and how to make all sorts of coffee drinks, from cappuccino to cold brew, in addition to seasonal specialty beverages (Lavender Berry Breeze, anyone?). “We’re a legit coffee shop,” says Clarey. “We grind the beans, we pull the espresso, we mix in any flavorings.”
People wanting to work in the coffee shop must apply and go through an interview process. The program is so popular that for the time being, Inspire is not accepting new applications, as their wait list is so long.
Working in the coffee shop is not a daily grind; it provides social interaction, builds confidence, and gives employees a better quality of life. Clarey tells the story of one young man whose parent told him, “My son may be able to run the register, but he’ll never be able to make a cup of coffee.” “But two months in, he’s making lattes regularly,” Clarey reports proudly. Examples like this and creating a work environment where people love and care for each other is Inspire’s raison d’être.
“Inspire is a safe place for people to learn and grow,” Clary says. “Everyone who comes into Inspire has been impacted by the individuals who work here in a positive way. [Customers] walk away in awe of what individuals with disabilities can accomplish.”
Small Cafe, Big Impact
Sprinkle sugar cookies, chocolate chip brownies, maple cinnamon coffee cake: these are a few of the delectable goodies offered by Hobnob & Hero’s Baked Treats. In their practice as occupational therapists, Olivia and Richard Ivey have seen myriad individuals who are underestimated owing to their disabilities. The Iveys started Hobnob & Hero’s as a combination of Olivia’s passion for baking with the couple’s desire to give adults with disabilities an opportunity to learn job skills. Sample the sweet results at Inspire Coffee House or by placing an order at hobnobhero.godaddysites.com.
Inspiring Possibilities
Started in 2004, the Mosaic program at Grace Church seeks to disciple kids, students, and adults with special needs and disabilities more into the life of the church’s 10 Upstate campuses. As Mosaic’s adult population grew, church leaders observed that after high school, there were not many opportunities for individuals with disabilities. To fill that need, Grace started a program for these adults, called Inspire Discipleship. People in this program participate in community projects such as Meals on Wheels and helping out in local nursing homes. It is from Mosaic that Inspire Coffee House was born.
Inspire Coffee House, 1433 Cleveland St., Greenville, Mon.–Fri., 7:30a.m.–3:30p.m.
