"Family Fun Day" To Benefit Special Friends Cafe

HARWICH – The community has demonstrated strong support for the establishment of a Special Friends Cafe to provide employment for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. As part of the effort to develop the proposal, a Family Fun Day will be held in Brooks Park on Saturday, Aug. 24. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Family Fun Day will be a festival for the whole family, said Shana Grogan, one of the proponents of the Special Friends Cafe. Live entertainment, a dunk tank, yard games, sand art, an obstacle course, yoga bounce balls, corn hole, limbo, face painting and many other forms of entertainment are planned. Shirts, cups, water bottles, tote bags, frisbees, pins, buttons and Special Friends Cafe dog bones will also be for sale to help raise funds for the project, she said. The cafe will be dog friendly because so many of the kids involved have service or therapy dogs, Grogan added.

“It’s free, but we’re going to accept donations and we’re going to have fun rain or shine,” Grogan said of Family Fun Day.

The plan for the Special Friends Cafe is to employ young adults with different abilities resulting from autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other intellectual disabilities, she said. The cafe will serve food and beverages and provide a community hub that raises awareness and acceptance while fostering an understanding of the disabilities and the contributions of people with disabilities, she said.

Funding for the project is very important, Grogan said. The organization would like to raise $50,000 locally and have already raised $15,000 in the past few weeks. Grants will also be sought. Grogan welcomes any donations.

So far a specific location for the cafe hasn’t been identified. One possibility is to use the kitchen at 204 Sisson, the cultural center. Grogan said a meeting about the use of that location is scheduled, but nothing is solidified.

“Fundraising is the number one priority so we can get a location,” said Grogan.

She said the organization has 501(c) status through the Harwich Chamber of Commerce’s charitable foundation. The Special Friends Cafe has applied for its own nonprofit status, which could take up to six months, Grogan said.

Grogan is a special needs teacher in the Monomoy Regional School District who educates individuals with moderate to severe disabilities. She also serves as a certified autism fitness trainer. Two of her students are the driving force in the project, she said.

Rory Farris and Stella Linnell are looking for a form of employment that will provide a meaningful life into the future. Linnell is entering post-graduate classes provided by Grogan in the school district, and Farris is reaching the end of his public education tenure.

The mission is for these individuals to live a meaningful life through employment as adults with intellectual and physical disabilities in a welcoming, inclusive and understanding environment, Pauline Linnell, Stella’s mother, told the select board recently. She has joined with Grogan in the initiative. Grogan praised the effort of Linnell and Anne Farris of Chatham.

“Pauline wanted there to be happiness in Stella’s adult life. She wants her to be fulfilled,” Grogan said. “Anne is the most understanding and impassioned lady in trying to help other parents who are just starting out. Anne is a huge support system for families going through this. She will help navigate it, and be a shoulder to cry on.”

She continued, “The day before a student’s 22nd birthday is the mandated end to school services, and it gets tricky for families to navigate what’s ahead. These students and their peers are their family when in school. It’s heartbreaking when they have to leave, and families are scared for the future.”

There are a lot of day programs available but they can be difficult to get into, said Grogan. The cafe will provide not only employment but a social hub for adults and kids as well as a trajectory for learning to continue.

The cafe will include a lot of activities, such as game nights, dancing, theme events and other happenings throughout the year. The Special Friends Cafe concept was overwhelmingly supported by the select board.

“The Family Fun Day” will be just that, said Grogan of the free event. Select board member Jefferey Handler has volunteered to be the target in the dunk tank, she added.

“All we’ve got is positive responses, emails and social media,” she said. “There has been tremendous support and heartfelt thanks for bringing this type of program to the community. There will be so many happy families that will be impacted in a positive way. It’s just the beginning for a bright future for Harwich.”