“People love our turkey sandwiches, but we’re about so much more than the sandwich!” says Lauren Smith, executive director of Hugs Café Inc. in McKinney, Texas.
Hugs Café Inc. provides opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental differences through four programs: Hugs Café, Hugs Greenhouse, Hugs Training Academy, and Hugs Home Cooking. These programs offer meaningful training that teach valuable skills, include competitively paid employment, and provide ability-conscious career pathways. Since launching in 2012, Hugs’ relationship with Communities Foundation of Texas has evolved.
“We’ve long seen CFT as a really great community leader in philanthropy. Not only do we consider CFT a partner and mentor of sorts, but also an advocate for the work that we do,” shared Smith.
After being awarded a grant from CFT’s North Texas Cares initiative in 2020, Hugs was able to hire new employees and provide them with necessary training. At Hugs Café, positions range from servers and cashiers to sandwich line attendants, dishwashers, hosts, and more.
Cierra, a greeter, enjoys her job.
“My job is important to me because I like being productive, and I like what I do!” she says. The community has taken notice of the smiling faces and tasty food, but most importantly, the organization’s important mission and unique business model. Lauri Summers and her daughter, Amy, recently enjoyed lunch on a sunny afternoon.
“I have a special needs grandson who will be fifteen in May, and I thought maybe someday he could get into the [Hugs] Academy,” Summers said. Her daughter, Amy, who runs a special needs ministry at her church, had heard about Hugs.
“I wanted to come and check it out to recommend it to the families we serve. This community has a special place in my heart, and I want to support them and what this community is doing to bring purpose to these adults’ lives,” she said.
Hugs Café’s fans include international visitors and local residents such as McKinney Mayor George Fuller.
