Ready To Launch

A profound desire for purpose and fulfillment is at the core of most of our lives. For adults living with disabilities, that journey to belonging can be particularly difficult, filled with vocational roadblocks and daunting societal challenges.

“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something,” is the motto over at Together at Mikey’s Place, a new social services organization located in Memorial. Bunker Hill area resident Ingrid Monroy started the nonprofit upon discovering the lack of vocational services. Her son Mikey, now 23, had a stroke at birth that resulted in cerebral palsy and intractable epilepsy. He walks but also uses a wheelchair. Ingrid knew her son was capable of working, but he would need lots of training and job coaching. Services are available through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), a government agency which has a program to help young adults with disabilities get supported employment. Ingrid recalls when Mikey’s TWC counselor visited him in high school. 

“She said, ‘Well, I just visited Mikey in his classroom. I don't know what I can do for you, sorry,’” said Ingrid. “It was another one of those milestones and slaps in the face, but I knew it was coming; because of Mikey’s medical issues, he can't just go somewhere and work and or even volunteer by himself, he needs somebody with him. And he would love to roll around and stock shelves in a store, but they're not going to allow him to bring an aide.”

Back in 2006, Ingrid printed a 30-page guide full of all the resources she gathered for parents with special-needs children. Today “Mikey’s Guide” is 300 pages long and about to go digital. Her new venture, Together at Mikey’s Place, now employs eight adults with disabilities who make ceramic pottery. The artisans are paid minimum wage but get a great deal more from their new sense of independence. 

Together at Mikey’s Place will be one of 50 vendors at an upcoming holiday market hosted by the Steel Magnolia Moms, a national nonprofit organization based in Houston, 2,000 moms strong – all mothers who have children with disabilities. Their vision is to be a place where special-needs moms have the resources, support, and sisterhood they need to be the best moms they can be. The Steel Magnolia Moms Holiday Market takes place Thurs., Nov. 2, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at The Powder Keg. 

“We are proud to provide a market that has been growing in popularity every year and supports local vendors of which some employ individuals with disabilities. It gives them an opportunity for face-to-face time with customers in a real-world working environment,” said Maribel Farish, SMM Holiday Market event chair and founding board member. “Our goal is to not only spread awareness in our community but support an inclusive business model. We are showcasing the unique God-given abilities of our children and shining a light on their potential and future possibilities.” 

Those possibilities start with critical vocational skills, said Wendy Dawson, a Memorial resident and founder of the local nonprofit Social Motion Skills. Since 2010, while trying to help her young stepson with autism, she has been teaching parents that vocational skills must start early because they are essential for their children to achieve independence.

“Life does not happen by magic, so you’ve got to find what motivates them so that you can steer them in the right direction,” said Wendy, who recently merged her organization with The Center for Pursuit, a nonprofit that helps individuals affected by autism and intellectual disabilities. “There has got to be better transition services. The schools are trying to work on it but it's not enough and all the parents we talk to say, the kids are coming out of these programs and they’re still not ready to fly. They don't have skills, they don’t have the resume, and they don't have the social competency to be able to break into that world. It's really, really, really hard.” 

CREATIVE EMPLOYMENT Diana, Cristobal, Cathy, Jeffrey, and Mikey (pictured, from left) are employed by Together at Mikey’s Place to make colorful concrete candles and pottery. The group just celebrated their first anniversary and has sold more than 1500 candles. The group will be a vendor at the Steel Magnolia Moms Holiday Market.

Anne Marie “Rie” Buckle, 23, has autism. She is practicing to live independently in a garage apartment at her parents’ house near West University. Rie has three part-time jobs and a small business making and selling her own salsa. She will be a vendor at the SMM Holiday market selling Rie’s Pleasing Picante as well as some other homemade treats. She not only values work but thinks it’s fun. 

One of Rie’s part time jobs is at Bitty & Beau’s Coffee in Rice Village. The for-profit business with 25 locations nationwide exclusively hires people with disabilities and opened in January in Rice Village. Bitty & Beau’s boasts their inclusivity; slogans on the walls and shirts read: “Radically Inclusive” and “Changing the Way People see other People.” And it’s proving to be a profitable business model with little turnover; 11 months after the grand opening, many of the original employees that were hired, including Rie, are still there in some capacity.

“I absolutely love meeting people. Being a cashier gives me the opportunity to do just that. I have even become friends with some of my repeat customers and co-workers,” said Rie. “I am very grateful for this chance to work closely with the other Bitty & Beau's employees to grow their skills and mine. You see, I get better at being a cashier when I am showing others the steps in performing the job.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with disabilities have an unemployment rate roughly double that of workers without disabilities.

“The current labor market is facing a significant challenge as there seems to be a shortage of available workers. This situation is particularly frustrating because there is a large pool of autistic adults who are eager and ready to work but are unable to secure employment opportunities,” said Heidi Stieglitz Ham, PhD, who lives in West University and is the founder of Spectrum Fusion, a nonprofit that provides services and community to adults with autism. Her vision includes giving members a creative outlet, which led to the creation of Spectrum Fusion Studios, which is made up of a team of seven adults, all of whom have autism. “The stereotype of an autistic adult that excels in math and science abilities overlooks the incredible talent and creativity of those with different neurodivergent profiles. Our organization is committed to championing the creative potential of individuals, providing them with the opportunities they deserve to excel and thrive.”

Memorial resident Kim Brown is also championing the cause. She wanted to help her daughter, Ellie, have anything but a life on the couch when she graduated from Memorial High School in 2020. With a developmental disability, college wasn’t an option. So Kim started a grab-and-go kitchen in her backyard, an enterprise which has blossomed into a restaurant called Belong Kitchen in Memorial with 30 employees, all who have disabilities. 

“It really is life-changing for Ellie and our employees. The confidence that it gives them; the dignity that comes with earning a paycheck,” said Kim. “And then there’s other positive things that come in addition to employment, there’s social interaction between the employees, the customers, and the volunteers who support the employees in the kitchen. It’s just been really neat to see the community come together to make this work.” 

And for Ellie it truly feels like a place she belongs. 

“I love seeing my friends at work every day,” said Ellie. “And I like washing the dishes and making macaroni and cheese.” 

Inclusive Community Organizations 

Belong Kitchen Nonprofit grab-and-go kitchen that provides meaningful employment for adults with intellectual and development disabilities.  713-636-2875
Village Towers Plaza
9655 Katy Freeway, Ste. 3105
Houston TX, 77024
Open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 8 a.m.-12 p.m.; closed Sun.

Bitty & Beau’s Coffee
Coffee shop that employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 713-205-6137
2367 Rice Blvd.
Houston, TX 77005
Open daily, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. 

The Brookwood Community God-centered nonprofit residential and vocational community for adults with disabilities. Gift & Garden Center; café; seasonal fundraisers 1502 FM 1489, Brookshire, TX 77423 
Retail Store: 281-375-2149; Garden Center: 281-375-2327
Open Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 

Celebration Company
Program of Joan and Stanford Alexander Jewish Family Service that provides life skills and meaningful employment to individuals with disabilities. 4131 S. Braeswood
713-986-7860
Open Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat-Sun. closed. 

Mikey’s Place
Informs, connects, and supports families who are raising children with disabilities. Together at Mikey’s Place is a vocational program for young adults. 713-591-1965
See mikeysplace.net/programs to order Mikey’s Guide ($15), which contains over 300 pages of information about specialized programming for all ages and a range of special needs. 

Social Motion Skills
Nonprofit that serves children with autism and similar special needs and their families. Offers classes providing social skills and programs providing job skills. 713-461-7200
4400 Harrisburg Blvd.
Houston, TX 77011

Spectrum Fusion Nonprofit that helps improve the possibilities for individuals with autism. The Reactor Room Program empowers young adults to help find their purpose. 832-208-5786

Steel Magnolia Moms
Nonprofit that supports moms of a child with special needs. Steel Magnolia Moms Holiday Market: Thurs., Nov. 2, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., The Powder Keg, 1300 Brittmoore Rd., Houston, TX 77043 

The Center for Pursuit Nonprofit that promotes the pursuit of choices, growth, and independence for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, or similar conditions. Offers employment services, enrichment services, adult day program. 713-525-8400
4400 Harrisburg Blvd.
Houston, TX 77011 

Editor's note: For more on this topic, read Breaking Boundaries: Helping those with invisible disabilities (Nov. 2022); Belong Kitchen: Serving up opportunity (June 2021); Steel Magnolia Moms: The race that wasn’t – and will be (Jan. 2020); Spectrum Fusion: Supporting adults with autism (Jan. 2019); Working It: Careers for adults with autism (March 2017); Brookwood Community: Where there's opportunity for all (Nov. 2014)