In addition to growing our local Mac Kid community and planning local outings and volunteer experiences for our kids and families, another mission of mine is to raise awareness about people and businesses that are service focused and giving back to our community - Sunflower Bakery is one of those places - so much more than just a bakery, I’m delighted to share the Sunflower story - check them out!
Sunflower was established in 2009 by a small group of parents and professionals who were concerned about the need for more skilled training opportunities leading to employment for individuals with learning differences. With four women writing checks for $500 each to cover the costs of ingredients and supplies, and using loaned kitchen space in a local synagogue, Sunflower was born.
Over the past decade, Sunflower Bakery has become a very popular kosher, pareve Bakery serving the Greater Washington DC Metro Area. We produce unique and delicious pastries, including new menus for all seasons and holidays. Our beautiful and delicious products are served at birthday celebrations, weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, confirmations, synagogues and churches, meetings, conferences and more. Our products are sold at our Café Sunflower (Monday-Friday at 6101 Executive Blvd. N. Bethesda) in a warm and welcoming environment with extraordinary customer service. Although producing outstanding products is key to our success, producing skilled, well-trained employees for other local food establishments is our raison d’être.
To date, Sunflower bakery has served over 300 adults and teens in our young adult employment training programs at our bakery and cafe, pre-employment teen exposure programs and Café Sunflower internship program. Our Employment Training Programs are dedicated to providing skilled job training and employment for adults 18+ with learning differences in pastry arts, production baking, barista service and front-of-house operations. Since 2010, Sunflower Bakery has produced 81 Pastry Arts graduates and 10 graduates of our Café Sunflower Employment Training Program. We assist our Pastry Arts students with their job search and provide job monitoring for their first 12 weeks of employment. 80% of our Pastry Arts graduates secure employment within 6 months of graduating.
Students who train in our Pastry Arts and Café Sunflower Employment Training programs come to us from throughout the Greater Washington DC area. They all have one thing in common. They all have learning differences that have challenged them throughout their educational experiences. At Sunflower, we recognize that there are many "hidden" disabilities that make it that much harder to find appropriate training and employment that address such learning needs.
Our students provide excellent customer service, serving up Sunflower’s pastries, giving of themselves, greeting customers by name and serving up meaningful relationships with the community members who frequent the Café’ because it’s the customers’ “feel good” place. They grow and learn not just to bake or wait on customers, but also to believe in themselves and their abilities, to learn the “soft skills” needed to sustain employment and navigate more successfully in their daily lives.Sunflower knows that if we give someone a cake, they will enjoy dessert for a day. If we teach someone to bake, they’ll enjoy a career for a lifetime!
Mention this article and receive 10% off of your order at Café Sunflower (up to a maximum of $5 off) until December 31, 2019.
