Wake up and smell the coffee! Unique program helps kids and disabled baristas
Employees of the cafe make coffee.
Middle school kids are being encouraged to help handicapped baristas under a new program to to help the workers and the kids.
The project by the Shanghai Disabled Persons' Federation and the Menggongfang Coffee Shop gets the city's middle school students working at a cafe in the Pudong New Area during their summer vacation.
Students will learn coffee-making skills and help their handicapped co-workers make the business grow.
The program was initiated by Wang Chu, a high school student in Shanghai.
"Due to the impact of COVID-19 resurgence, the operation of the Menggongfang Coffee Shop was confronted with serious difficulties," Wang said.
"We want the youngsters to get involved in the cafe to help it get through the tough times of the pandemic and be part of the program caring for the disabled."
The regular staff at the cafe on Qihe Road are mentally handicapped.
But it is a two-way street: they have a lot to teach the youngsters as well.
