DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A traveling ice cream cart employs people with disabilities like Down syndrome and autism to prepare them for the workforce.
Adir Gottesman and Evan Land work at a traveling ice cream cart called Delicious Spoonfuls, which has been operating for about seven years.
The two have special needs, but the job has given them a chance to get practical workforce training that will set them up for the future.
"I know how to scoop. I know how to do toppings and give people what they want," Adir Gottesman said.
"I have learned how to deal with customers," explained Evan Land. "It gives me people skills, I get to relate to the public."
Founders Helen and Robert Gottesman have a background in special needs education. They established the nonprofit after realizing there was a lack of opportunity for adults with disabilities in Palm Beach County.
"A lot of employers don't want to take on the responsibility because of that big word disability," Robert Gottesman said. "They don't realize it's a tax saving. They also don't realize that they're the hardest workers and the most dedicated workers around."
Before the experience with Delicious Spoonfuls, Land struggled to keep a job and handle stress.
"They don't have enough time to train the special needs community, and they really just want to rush, rush, rush us to get to working," Land said.
Now, he's one of dozens employed by Delicious Spoonfuls who’s been trained in customer service and received a food handlers certification.
The Gottesmans hope to inspire employers to focus on what people like Land can do despite his condition.
"We give them the skills and the confidence and the positive reinforcement so that they can succeed in life and take that whether they work with us or somebody else," Robert Gottesman said.
It's an effort that starts one scoop at a time.
If you would like to learn more about the nonprofit or show your support, Delicious Spoonfuls will be at the Delray Historical Society on Sunday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.