DANVERS — The Northeast Arc, a not-for-profit organization that helps children and adults with disabilities become full participants in the community, is opening a second, Breaking Grounds Café in Beverly.
Breaking Grounds is an innovative coffee shop in downtown Peabody that trains people with disabilities for careers in the food service and customer service industries. Since opening at the end of 2016 it has attracted many repeat and highly satisfied customers.
On Monday, Dec. 2, Breaking Grounds will open and operate a second Breaking Grounds at the Greater Beverly YMCA, located at 254 Essex St. The café is scheduled to be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and weekends from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“This second café provides more opportunities for people we support,” said Tim Brown, Director of Innovation and Strategy, Northeast Arc.
“Partnering with the Greater Beverly YMCA will allow us to double the number of people supported through our training program, as well as introduce new skills to be learned. The location of the new café inside the YMCA, coupled with the welcoming members and staff, will allow graduates of the training program to be hired and work as the sole Breaking Grounds employee during parts of the day. This will allow them to further develop their confidence and problem solving skills, which increases other job prospects.”
Greater Beverly YMCA Executive Director Judith Cronin said the expansion grew out of a longstanding relationship with Northeast Arc and the Y’s commitment to provide inclusion programming.
“We are thrilled to support this wonderful training program for Northeast Arc participants and look forward to watching this new venue grow and succeed,” she said.
Breaking Grounds at the Greater Beverly YMCA will offer many of the specialty coffee and tea drinks, smoothies, unique soft drinks, pastries, artesian sandwiches, soups and breakfast items that customers have come to enjoy at the Peabody café.
“We hope that this is one of many expansions of Breaking Grounds into several communities to be able to provide the skills the people we serve need and the restaurant industry continues to say are in demand,” said Brown.
Northeast Arc (NeArc) changes lives for people with disabilities — and children at risk of developing them — and their families. The agency serves more than 10,000 people in 190 Massachusetts cities and towns each year. NeArc is the largest Arc in the state of Massachusetts and the 2nd largest (of 700) in the country.
Services include: Adult Family Care, the ArcWorks Community Art Center, Autism Services, Black Box Theater, Breaking Grounds Café, Continuous Care Nursing Services, Day Habilitation, Deaf Services, Early Intervention, Employment Services, Family Support, First Steps Childcare & Preschool, Fiscal Intermediary, Personal Care Assistance, Recreation, Residential, Shared Living and Transition, and Skilled Intermittent Home Health Care. Learn more at www.ne-arc.org.
