Five years ago, a group of parents in Winston-Salem, North Carolina created Moji Coffee + More out of a desire to create meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Now this June, Moji celebrates its fifth anniversary and its evolution from a simple coffee shop into a catalyst of change for employees and businesses alike.
Nearly four out of every five people with disabilities in the U.S. are either unemployed or underemployed, points out Moji’s Executive Director Anna Donze. Moji has embraced a mission of providing job and life skills training to people with differing abilities so that they can find and retain meaningful employment, while educating employers on fostering inclusive workplaces. Donze highlights Moji’s language shift from “people with disabilities” to “differing abilities,” emphasizing that each employee has the ability to work and contribute as much as anyone.
“Our hope is that each individual, after one to three years, will be in a place where they’ve built their confidence, developed a wide array of transferable skills, and know what kind of long-term work environment they’d like to be in,” she says. “Every shift, we’re working with our staff to provide skills not just with their performance at Moji in mind, but their future and their goals.”
As Moji Coffee + More continues to write its story of empowerment and inclusivity, it serves as a beacon of hope for people with disabilities and a model for businesses aspiring to embrace diversity. With each cup of coffee served and every workshop conducted, Moji reinforces the belief that every person deserves the chance to thrive. Here’s to five years of transformation and the countless lives touched by the power of inclusion.
