Awaken Coffee brews inclusivity, offering jobs to people with disabilities

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — As soon as you step inside Awaken Coffee, you’re on good grounds. But this place has a secret ingredient: inclusivity.

“There’s not a lot of employment opportunities for people with disabilities,” said Jennifer, a founder of Awaken Coffee. “Because that’s the goal for all of our people here at Awaken, to have gainful, meaningful employment, integrated into the community.”

Change is brewing at Awaken Coffee, where the focus is on finding that perfect blend of community and opportunity. Volunteers, known as allies, start by learning the ropes. Logan, the lead ally, is currently in this role.

“There’s a possibility that if you’re excelling as an ally, you move up to be Brew Crew, which is a paid team member,” Logan said.

The Brew Crew is where team members like Wynne can flourish. “I do have high-functioning autism,” Wynne said. “To be honest, this place gave me a chance that I believe not many other places would.”

In the Brew Crew, Wynne operates the cash register and mans the coffee bar. “You’re not just like an outlier in the community, you’re integrated into the community,” Wynne said.

Jennifer, who has a son with autism, shared her inspiration for starting the coffee shop. “A friend walked into church one day and said, ‘Hey, I wanna start a coffee shop that employs special needs people,’ and I went ‘yes’!” she said.

Jennifer’s son, Ethan, fuels her daily grind. “I knew someday he would need something to do after high school and there are very few opportunities,” she said. “So we kinda accomplished our original mission by employing these fantastic folks. Now we’re starting to look forward and spread the love into the community.”

“It’s helping everybody be contributive to society,” Jennifer added. “Everybody needs to feel that they can have a positive contribution.”

Wynne emphasized the importance of perseverance. “I would say don’t give up just because you have a disability,” Wynne said. “You definitely have opportunities because there are going to eventually be people that come into your life that give you that chance that you want.”

Awaken Coffee has taught its team members one thing: “You definitely have a shot no matter where you go,” Wynne said.