Wow guests with these unique, personalized party favors that support local NJ businesses

Rebecca King, NorthJersey.com
·4 min read

Planning a wedding, baby shower, bridal shower or just about any party that requires favors? Listen up!

How about sending your guests home with favors that give back to your community? Plenty of nonprofits, charitable organizations and small, local businesses create favors that go way beyond your average box of mass-produced chocolates. Not only are they gifts folks will actually enjoy — from personalized bags of fragrant coffee to mini jars of sugar scrub — they go to support businesses doing good in our communities.

These are favors that will impress your guests and give back.

Ethan and the Bean, Little Falls

Ethan and the Bean is a coffee shop in Little Falls that employs adults with learning and developmental disabilities. It was founded by Pam Donovan and named after her son Ethan, who is on the autism spectrum and works at the shop. On the day-to-day, the employees make drip coffee, lattes and iced teas. But, they also occasionally work on favors for events.

Each package of coffee comes with two ounces of their Good Morning Brew, either caffeinated or decaf. The coffee can come pre-ground or as whole beans in one of three packaging options: matte black, a brown craft paper color or in a burlap sack. The former two come with personalized stickers and the latter with a hanging tag.

Go: 98 Main St., Little Falls; 973-826-9880, ethanandthebean.com.

Beloved Bath, Maplewood

Pam Kattouf and Pat Miller started Beloved Bath, which is based out of Maplewood, after discovering the soothing effects lavender-scented baths had on their sons, both of whom are on the autism spectrum. Now, they’re making sweet-smelling creations of their own through Beloved Bath, which employs people with learning disabilities. Workers mix fresh soaps, pour soy candles and whip up sugar scrubs — all of which can be adapted into favors for a wedding or shower.

“We’ve done small candles, body butters, any shape of soap people are looking for. Any fragrance. Any color. It’s totally customizable,” said Kattouf.

“It’s a great project for our employees to do, as well,” she added. “Making the soaps, putting them into bags, putting tags on them — they’re all tasks that our employees do well.”

For more information, go to belovedbath.com.

Rising Above Bakery, Chestnut Ridge, New York

Volunteer Monica Ullrich of Mahwah works alongside Connor Carson, 20, of Hillsdale at Rising Above Bakery, a nonprofit bakery in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y. The duo prepare gluten-free biscuits. The bakery employs special needs adults working alongside volunteers.
Volunteer Monica Ullrich of Mahwah works alongside Connor Carson, 20, of Hillsdale at Rising Above Bakery, a nonprofit bakery in Chestnut Ridge, N.Y. The duo prepare gluten-free biscuits. The bakery employs special needs adults working alongside volunteers.

Rising Above Bakery is run out of a small kitchen in the back of founder Shiri Reuveni-Ullrich’s house. Though a small operation, the breads, cookies, babkas and other treats are big on flavor. Everything is made by adults with special needs and learning disabilities, guided by volunteers. Though bread (everything from gluten-free buckwheat loaves to cinnamon raisin) is Rising Above’s — well — bread and butter, they can also whip up favors for your party. In the past, Reuveni-Ullrich said they have made decorated cookies and mini cracker bags as take-home gifts.

For more information, go to risingabovebakery.org.

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Garden State Kitchen, City of Orange

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We'll take supporting small, local businesses over giant corporations any day. Garden State Kitchen in the City of Orange is an incubator kitchen that provides clean, affordable commercial space for new businesses that don't yet have the money to rent out their own kitchens. We asked owner Kris Ohleth to recommend some GSK clients that offer party favors. They include:

When you support these businesses, you're giving back to your community and helping the founders fund the bakery/business of their dreams. Plus, the quality is top-notch. For more about Garden State Kitchen, go to gardenstatekitchen.com.

Rebecca King is a food writer for NorthJersey.com. For more on where to dine and drink, please subscribe today and sign up for our North Jersey Eats newsletter.

Email: kingr@northjersey.com 

Twitter: @rebeccakingnj 

Instagram: @northjerseyeats

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Unique party favors that will impress your guests and give back too