<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0w3uAR_1GzXGvg500" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0w3uAR_1GzXGvg500" width="1200" height="900" ></figure>A local family-founded nonprofit offers coffee and community to everyone who visits.Jack and the Bean is a nonprofit coffee shop in Kenova with a mission to increase the employment rate for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.They are open every Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. at 1404 Polar Street in Kenova, West Virginia.Jack Adkins and his mother, Melanie Adkins, both played crucial roles in the organization’s development.Melanie learned her son, Jack, had autism when he was a toddler, and he didn’t say his first words until he was three.Years later, as Jack approached high school graduation, Melanie started to consider different opportunities for her son. While thinking of ways to keep Jack busy in adulthood, Melanie had the idea of starting an on-the-go coffee shop where they would serve drinks together.“We wanted to make sure he had something engaging and fun,” Melanie said.Their first job was working the concession stand at a Christmas play. This experience showed Melanie the two could handle the business well, so they ran with the idea.About a year later, Jack and the Bean connected with Diversified Assessment Therapy Systems in Kenova.Diversified Assessment Therapy Systems works with people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, providing day habilitation and job training. In the same building, Melanie focuses on job training through Jack and the Bean.Since the two groups connected, the coffee shop has grown from having only one barista to 12.“We’re small, but we’re steady,” Melanie said. “I think people would like us to be open more.”Usually, two baristas work at the same time in one shift before alternating with other baristas. Each barista works two or three times a month.Although Jack said he loves making lemonade for customers, Jack and the Bean’s current schedule offers more time for his other endeavors.Outside of the drink-making business, Jack’s favorite job is working as an assistant preschool teacher. There, he helps clean tables, hand out snacks, read to the children and update the class calendar, Melanie said.For his third job, Jack works at Goodwill.When he isn’t working or playing Mario, Jack attends a bowling and art group for people with special needs. In fact, the first mural that came from Jack’s art group is currently displayed inside Jack and the Bean.Two regular customers, Patty Asbury and Dee Henderson, have been sitting under the artwork since it was put on display. Of course, the two friends have been sitting in those seats long before the artwork was ever made.At first, Asbury and Henderson visited the organization to spend quality time together. However, their attendance has since become much more personal.“It’s become more than that,” Asbury said. “They’ve become like family to us. We enjoy that. If we miss a week, they’re wondering where you’ve been. If you missed two weeks, Melanie’s calling to see where you’re at.”The staff isn’t the only community offered at the establishment. Asbury said she enjoys building relationships with other customers. One notable relationship is one she has in passing with the mayor.“We’ve gotten to know people,” Henderson said. “We will have, like, a whole tableful and that’s fun. We can never get a word in, but it’s fun.”People of all ages are known to stop by the organization to grab a drink. Asbury said Marshall students tend to stop in when school starts in the spring. Even Asbury’s seven-year-old grandson loves going to Jack and the Bean, she said. When he comes in, he is often found sitting with Jack or another barista, where they tend to read books together or watch from a tablet.“It’s something, you know, for a seven-year-old to ask to go to Jack and the Bean,” Asbury said.While community is a large part of what makes the organization feel special to Asbury and Henderson, it isn’t the only thing customers appreciate.Amanda Kirk, a Diversified Assessment Therapy Systems employee, said the coffee is delicious and there are good food options. The number of options is important, especially for those with food allergies.“As someone that has celiac disease, I’m always appreciative that they always have gluten-free muffin options,” Kirk said.Inclusivity is the foundation of Jack and the Bean, and it seems to be well maintained. While their mission focuses on providing opportunities for those with developmental and intellectual disabilities, the organization offers more than just that.Whether a person’s morning pick-me-up includes coffee, breakfast, or community, Jack and the Bean tends to provide exactly that.Taleigh White can be contacted at [email protected].</div></body>

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A local family-founded nonprofit offers coffee and community to everyone who visits. Jack and the Bean is a nonprofit coffee shop in Kenova with a mission to increase the employment rate for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. They are open every Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. at...

Coffee and community available at Jack and the Bean

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A local family-founded nonprofit offers coffee and community to everyone who visits. Jack and the Bean is a nonprofit coffee shop in Kenova with a mission 

Coffee and community available at Jack and the Bean

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