'A place of employment for everyone'
Jan. 29—PITTSTON — Just over a month out from a scheduled March 1 start date, NEPA Inclusive held a job fair Saturday to seek out workers for the organization's new Coffee Inclusive coffee shop.
What sets Coffee Inclusive apart from the average neighborhood coffee shop is right there in the name — echoing the NEPA Inclusive's mission to provide services and opportunities to individuals with diverse abilities, including intellectual disabilities, Saturday's job fair was held specifically for neurodivergent people looking for work.
"Today's all about giving individuals with disabilities an opportunity to come in, experience the interview process in a very simplistic way and for us to find inviduals that we plan on hiring," said Tom Carlucci, NEPA Initiative's training and quality assurance coordinator.
Carlucci, who will serve as Coffee Inclusive's manager, said that the idea for Coffee Inclusive fell right in line with the other NEPA Inclusive programs, which include a housing program, technical learning opportunities and programs designed to help those with disabilities work on their personal goals.
"We're basically creating and supporting inclusive and sustainable lives," Carlucci said.
The job fair was held inside the former Cooper's Coop building on Kennedy Boulevard in Pittston, home of the NEPA Inclusive headquarters and the Coffee Inclusive shop.
Open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., prospective employers were invited to check out the space, fill out an application and take part in a short interview.
Coffee Inclusive staff have said they will offer cold and hot coffees, lattes, espressos, mochas and cappuccinos, teas, baked goods, as well as healthy fruit smoothies and acai bowls.
'I love coffee'
Kevin Richards, one such individual looking for a job, seemed very enthusiastic about the chance to work with coffee.
"I love coffee, even though I've never tried it," Harding joked as he filled out his application with assistance from his mother, Jennifer.
She said that they had heard about the coffee shop, and Saturday's job fair, from a friend.
Carlucci came out to greet Kevin and explain to him a little about the coffee shop and some other details about the jobs available, before promising a call next week.
Carlucci explained that they were looking to fill about 10 positions to start, in a variety of different roles.
"Those jobs would be food prepping for our smoothies and our healthy bowls, as well as the barista side of things," Carlucci said. "Anybody who comes beyond those 10 positions, we would put on a waiting list and we would work off that list going forward."
Also on hand Saturday were NEPA Inclusive CEO Frank Bartoli and several already-hired members of the Coffee Inclusive staff to assist with the interview process.
Bartoli spoke about the project earlier this month in an interview with our sister publication, the Sunday Dispatch.
"Our coffee shop is a place of employment for everyone, including people with diverse abilities. All our team members will be trained and paid a competitive wage as baristas and servers," Bartoli said then.
"That's what makes Coffee Inclusive different; we are not just training people with diverse abilities to do a job, we are hiring them as employees and paying them real wages," he added.
'It's giving a lot of people opportunities'
Lauren Ceccoli, of Harding, previously worked in the Coopers Coop building at Blend Natural, a smoothie and juice bar. She said that she was looking forward to working in this new, unique setting.
"I love the idea with it, I love the atmosphere here," Ceccoli said. "It's giving a lot of people opportunities and it's promoting health and wellness."
Carlucci said that Coffee Inclusive's projected start date is still in line to be March 1, with some state paperwork still to be filed before it becomes official. As previously reported, Coffee Inclusive will be located on the second floor, in a space that previously was home to Blend Natural.
Once open, Carlucci said that Coffee Inclusive will be another step toward NEPA Inclusive's mission.
"It's imperative to open up doors to multiple opportunities to people with disabilities," Carlucci said. "Not only to allow other employers to see that people with disabilities could work alongside anyone else, but also to inform people about the services that NEPA Inclusive has, as well."
For more information on NEPA Inclusive and its services, visit nepainclusive.org.
