<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1vQPf6_1H1pYTlv00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1vQPf6_1H1pYTlv00" width="1200" height="800" ></figure>On the last Friday of each month, one could expect to find RCHS students roaming the campus halls with a clear plastic cup of coffee or a pastry in hand. Run by students in the Functional and Practical program, the now three-year-old activity leads to positive impacts hat go far beyond just providing coffee once a month.“— Kendall PeraOftentimes, many teenagers in high school struggle to find job opportunities. This is especially applicable for special needs students. Buddy’s Brew provides the chance for such students to step behind a counter and spend a morning working a real job.Through simple minute-long interactions, the program offers students independence and responsibility. They are tasked with setting up the shop early in the morning, maintaining the shop until classes begin, and cleaning up afterwards. While such responsibilities undoubtedly create challenges, many find the experience rewarding, having learned many essential life skills, such as patience and hard work.Senior Kendall Pera works as a barista for Buddy’s Brew. She said she finds her job enjoyable and fulfilling.“One thing I struggle with is being shy, but Buddy’s Brew has helped me be less shy,” Pera said. “Someday I want to get a job at a coffee shop.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0gOMVl_1H1pYTlv00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0gOMVl_1H1pYTlv00" width="2001" height="1334" ><figcaption>Carefully pumping syrup into a drink, senior Kendall Pera prepares a customer’s order. ( Zoe Dela Cruz )</figcaption></figure>While learning skills such as manning transactions and making beverages is helpful, the invaluable skill many students take away from the program is connection. Buddy’s Brew provides a community consisting of the Functional and Practical program students, instructional aides, staff members, student volunteers, and customers.In 2024, Buddy’s Brew officially became a registered club on campus. Club members assist Functional and Practical students as they operate the coffee shop. Through patient guidance and proper communication, everyone works together to allow the coffee shop to function and flourish.Additionally, Buddy’s Brew has stretched farther than just selling beverages and pastries. During some of the coffee shop sessions, students also set up small booths, selling stickers, jewelry, and other small items. These students are offered the opportunity to show off their creativity and make their own connections.The money made from Buddy’s Brew goes towards important causes for the special needs kids. From new equipment and various activities to maintaining Buddy’s Brew, students and staff on campus can support Functional and Practical students through simple small purchases.Even after these few years, the hype still hasn’t died down; people from all over the school gather to support a good cause. The long entry lines and bustling interactions between employees and customers confirm one thing: the program’s continuing success. When passing by the busy atmosphere, one question that may come to mind is: What keeps the program running? After all, maintaining a business and keeping a steady flow of customers is hard enough in the real world, so how does this small and low-key school coffee shop maintain success?<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2XHDSK_1H1pYTlv00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2XHDSK_1H1pYTlv00" width="2001" height="1334" ><figcaption>A worker at Buddy’s Brew smiles at a customer as she intently listens to the order. ( Zoe Dela Cruz )</figcaption></figure>Many find the simplicity of the system appealing. Students line up and decide on a drink from a small menu. Students can order customized drinks with syrups at no additional cost. After receiving their drink, customers can visit a station on the side that has cream and other toppings. All of this is included in the price of the coffee.Price-wise, this tops a majority of big chain coffee shops, which charge for modifications to the drink or any extra enhancements. While affordable, the school’s coffee shop doesn’t skimp on quality. Many customers agree the products sold are of good quality.As a regular customer, RCHS staff member Brandy Autry concurs with such opinions, coming to support the shop every month.“The quality of the products is great. There’s lots of variety; there’s iced coffee, hot coffee, teas, pastries,” Autry said. “When we have Buddy’s Brew, it’s the perfect time to catch up and see familiar faces while enjoying a drink.”Buddy’s Brew offers the opportunity for friends to gather in the mornings, having a little bit of fun before classes begin. It offers a space for students to fill up their stomachs and cultivate conversations as the sun shines down on them. It offers the chance for students to hand over their money, knowing it’ll be used for the good of other students. For those behind the counter, they earn work experience and pick up values that extend far past the simple learned responsibility of schoolwork.Learning to work as part of a system is a skill every person will need to use someday, and this student-run coffee shop sets up a space where students can practice just that. At Buddy’s Brew, staff and students alike connect with one another, forming a community where every single hand, voice, and smile is appreciated.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0XMmXy_1H1pYTlv00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0XMmXy_1H1pYTlv00" width="2001" height="1334" ><figcaption>An aid patiently assists a student calculate the price of an order. ( Zoe Dela Cruz )</figcaption></figure>Senior Janean Ruiz finds Buddy’s Brew to be a fun bonding activity that sets her day up for success.“Buddy’s Brew is definitely a good start to my day. It makes me feel a lot at ease, and it helps bring positive energy before the day starts,” Ruiz said. “I love seeing everyone enjoy it together.”With every cup of coffee and smile exchanged, the Buddy’s Brew community is strengthened, allowing this impactful program to thrive and continue bringing people of all sorts together.</div></body>

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On the last Friday of each month, one could expect to find RCHS students roaming the campus halls with a clear plastic cup of coffee or a pastry in hand. Run by students in the Functional and Practical program, the now three-year-old activity leads to positive impacts hat go far beyond just providing coffee once a month.

Coffee with a pump of connection

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On the last Friday of each month, one could expect to find RCHS students roaming the campus halls with a clear plastic cup of coffee or a pastry in hand. R

Coffee with a pump of connection

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