Young adults with developmental disabilities find jobs at Kindness Cafe in Manasquan

Jerry Carino, Asbury Park Press
·3 min read

MANASQUAN – Ryan Prince was taking orders at Kindness Café Sunday morning when a customer asked him for a recommendation.

“I recommend croissants, bagels, muffins – everything!” Prince exclaimed.

That kind of enthusiasm is common at Kindness Café, which was launched last year to employ young adults with developmental disabilities. It just expanded from one morning a week to three.

Prince, a 21-year-old Wall resident, was one of 11 workers at Sunday’s grand opening. They rotated stations, from greeter to order taker to the cash register to the food and coffee counter. They prepped food, too. Operating out of Main Street Kitchen, a restaurant and caterer on Manasquan’s Main Street, the café employs about 30 people who make $14 an hour.

Ryan Prince of Wall gives a volunteer a hug as he takes over taking customers order as they come in. Kindness Café in Manasquan, which operates out of Main Street Kitchen three mornings per week, employs a staff of young adults with developmental disabilities.
Ryan Prince of Wall gives a volunteer a hug as he takes over taking customers order as they come in. Kindness Café in Manasquan, which operates out of Main Street Kitchen three mornings per week, employs a staff of young adults with developmental disabilities.

Annie Long, a 28-year-old Brick resident, has worked in Stop & Shop before as a cleaner, but this is much more interactive. The presence of volunteer “job coaches” helped everyone get oriented.

“I love it – I love the job coaches,” Long said. “They’re really good with us.”

As with Compassion Café in Beach Haven and No Limits Café in Middletown, the goal of this operation is multifold: Help young adults with developmental disabilities earn a paycheck, gain work experience and socialize.

Chrissy Rice, a Manasquan High School teacher who runs Kindness Café, said its expansion from one to three days was made possible by a grant from the former Belmar First Aid Squad, which ceased operations last year.

“It takes a community,” Rice said.

Part of a team

Sunday was a great day for C.J. Newitts, an 18-year-old Point Pleasant resident with autism who worked the cash register with efficiency.

“I like working here,” he said. “I like the people.”

CJ Newitts of Point Pleasant Boro works the register and helps customers. Kindness Café in Manasquan, which operates out of Main Street Kitchen three mornings per week, employs a staff of young adults with developmental disabilities.
CJ Newitts of Point Pleasant Boro works the register and helps customers. Kindness Café in Manasquan, which operates out of Main Street Kitchen three mornings per week, employs a staff of young adults with developmental disabilities.

Newitts has held jobs before, but none quite as public-facing as this.

“He needs more opportunities to be social in an environment that is typical for kids his age,” said his mother, Chris Newitts, a volunteer helper at Kindness Café. “He needs to be part of a community, and he needs to be part of a team, which this environment gives him.”

The Sunday staff at Kindness Café is typically older. These are mostly young adults who aged out of the school system at age 21. C.J. is a bit younger but fit right in, schmoozing with customers and colleagues alike.

“I couldn’t be more proud,” Chris Newitts said. “This gives me confidence that he’s going to be OK, that he’s going to be able to take care of himself to some degree. He’s only 18, and there will be a lot more that he’ll be able to do when he’s older, but he’s got great work experience already. He has goals – he’s saving up for a car.”

Annie Long takes a customer’s order. Kindness Café in Manasquan, which operates out of Main Street Kitchen three mornings per week, employs a staff of young adults with developmental disabilities. Photos taken 09/24/23
Annie Long takes a customer’s order. Kindness Café in Manasquan, which operates out of Main Street Kitchen three mornings per week, employs a staff of young adults with developmental disabilities. Photos taken 09/24/23

'There should be one in every town'

The menu at Kindness Café is fairly straightforward. There are muffins, bagels, croissants, cookies, yogurt and a fruit cup, along with coffee (hot or iced), tea, apple juice, orange juice and bottled water. Everything is $5 or less.

What’s not on the menu are the intangibles that can’t be learned in a classroom.

“When you see the smile on everyone’s faces, it’s great,” said Meighan Kelleher, owner of Main Street Kitchen. “There’s a young man, Jack, from Manasquan High School who’s been with us for a year, and at first you’d see him walking here down Main Street from school and he’d have his hoodie on with only his eyes showing. Now his hoodie is off, he’s walking proud, he’s learned to bake and he does his job.”

Volunteer Theresa Polkowski of Brick helps Kyla Harper of Wall put together customer orders. Kindness Café in Manasquan, which operates out of Main Street Kitchen three mornings per week, employs a staff of young adults with developmental disabilities.
Volunteer Theresa Polkowski of Brick helps Kyla Harper of Wall put together customer orders. Kindness Café in Manasquan, which operates out of Main Street Kitchen three mornings per week, employs a staff of young adults with developmental disabilities.

Kelleher said she’d love to see other businesses host similar initiatives.

“It’s such an easy thing to do,” she said. “And they’re getting a paycheck and doing a great job. There should be one in every town.”

Kindness Café is open from 9-11 a.m. Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays at Main Street Kitchen on 140 Main St., Manasquan. For more information or to donate, visit www.kindnesscafeonmain.com.

Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Kindness Cafe in Manasquan offers jobs for people with disabilities