Brewin’ Hope Coffeehouse Pours A Cup of Ambition for Employees with Special Needs

For many, there’s nothing more satisfying than the first sip of coffee in the morning, and when you savor your cup of Joe at Brewin’ Hope Coffeehouse in Pana, Illinois, there’s even more to feel good about.

Erica Matthews, founder of the Autism and Movement Project (AAMP) and Brewin’ Hope Coffeehouse, transformed the town’s stately Masonic Temple into a sanctuary for coffee lovers, the community and a staff of individuals with special needs. In addition to the coffeehouse and AAMP, Building 215, as it’s known today, also houses Adventure Play, a sensory gym.

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The Daily Grind

Open on Friday and Saturday mornings, Brewin’ Hope offers a cozy, coffeehouse vibe with a heartwarming blend of purpose and community.

“It was hard for my AAMP kids to get jobs. Some businesses considered them a liability,” Matthews says. “Brewin’ Hope was founded on the belief that all individuals have a unique purpose in life and are valuable members of our society and community.”

The coffeehouse offers a safe and supportive environment for the employees to develop job skills and gain the confidence to lead more independent lives.

Because their special needs vary widely – from autism to cognitive delays to physical limitations – much planning takes place to prepare staff to work at Brewin’ Hope.

“We evaluate every student’s strengths, limitations, accommodations and personality,” Matthews says. “For example, a lot of neurodivergent people can’t block out everyday sounds like most of us, so we may need to desensitize them to the sound of a blender before they start working at the coffeehouse. There are a lot of variables to consider.”

From grinding coffee beans to making pretzels and parfaits, the AAMP students spend hours practicing their job tasks. They also work with scripts to prepare for customer interactions. Volunteer job coaches play a critical role, helping their assigned staff take orders and make drinks.

As they bake, brew and serve from week to week, workers improve their motor and social skills while also learning life skills such as multitasking and time management. Many earn their food handler’s license.

“At the coffeehouse, they are given the opportunity to be successful,” Matthews says. “They build skills and confidence that allow them to transition to other environments.”

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Brewin’ a Bigger Life

Matthews’ life work, which has had a ripple effect on countless families and communities, is inspired by her mother, Dana Frailey, who worked as a special education aide when Matthews was growing up.

“My mom has always been the driving force for me,” she says. “I fell in love with the kids she worked with and became really interested in autism.”

One of those kids was an 8-year-old named Connor.

“Connor had little to no speech, and many behaviors and sensory issues that left him trapped in his own world,” Matthews recalls.

After hearing about a promising new method, Autism Movement Therapy, Matthews purchased a video and began working with Connor every day. Within two weeks, he uttered his first independent sentence, and Matthews’ future became crystal clear.

After becoming licensed and certified in Autism Movement Therapy, Matthews founded AAMP in 2012. The dance- and music-based program strengthens connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which improves speech as well as behavioral, motor and social skills. Today, AAMP is one of the largest operations of its type in the U.S.

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Sipping Success

Whether the challenge is speaking, walking, holding a job or earning a degree, Matthews likes to ensure she defies the odds, successfully working with employees and students to reach goals and milestones.

“If someone says a kid can’t or won’t do it, I like to prove them wrong,” says Matthews, who has an uncanny ability to get her students to try things they otherwise wouldn’t. “Just because someone can’t do something the first time, doesn’t mean they’ll never be able to do it.”

Today, Connor, age 21, fills drink orders each weekend at Brewin’ Hope. But his favorite task is baking pretzels and lining them up in perfect batches of 20.

Some staff members will stay on at Brewin’ Hope into adulthood. Others go on to jobs in the community, earn bachelor’s degrees and achieve additional goals that once seemed out of reach.

For car-crazy Brian, that goal was to drive. With the skills and confidence gained at AAMP and Brewin’ Hope, Brian went on to earn his driver’s license, get a factory job and buy his dream car. It was a magical moment for Matthews when Brian arrived at the coffeehouse one day and took her for a spin in his shiny new Camaro.

“I cherish those moments,” Matthews says. “I love the close relationships I have with my students and their parents.”

She is also grateful to be part of a community that cares as much as she does.

“The Pana community is so supportive,” Matthews says. “Our customers are always polite and patient if it takes a little longer to get their order. Brewin’ Hope is one of the best blessings I’ve had in my life. It’s taught me that I can give a lot more than I knew I could.”

The same could be said of the staff at Brewin’ Hope, for whom Matthews has a singular purpose: to help them achieve their goals and discover all they are capable of doing.

“I don’t want to fix them, I want to make them the best version of themselves,” Matthews says.

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