GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A Grand Valley State University student who recently opened her own bakery is using her business to help those who have special needs.
Zoe Bruyn, a senior studying management and marketing, is currently running Stir It Up in a commercial kitchen as part of a partnership with Trinity United Methodist Church. She has three employees, all of whom have disabilities, WOOD-TV (https://bit.ly/2mWAf82) reported.
“I never envisioned myself owning a bakery, however I have three cousins with special needs … Nearly 70 percent of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities are unemployed and I don’t think that should be the case, so I started a bakery to see if this could be a possible business,” Bruyn said.
She tries to give her employees a safe environment to learn valuable work skills and gain confidence in the workplace.
The bakery owner wants to eventually launch a nationwide business model that other companies would use to employ and support individuals with special needs.
Bruyn earned nearly $20,000 last year through business competitions, and hopes to open her own kitchen in the next year.
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Information from: WOOD-TV, https://www.woodtv.com
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