Awaking The Community, One Coffee at a Time

“To employ adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, promoting their skills, confidence and dignity.”

That is Awaken Coffee’s Mission. Since the early stages of its development, Carol Preston, Co-founder and President of Awaken Coffee was aware of the lack of opportunities given to those with disabilities.

“The national unemployment rate for those with disabilities is 80%, and that’s just not acceptable,” Preston said. “Once someone with special needs reaches the age of 22, they are no longer provided public construction. So we are so fortunate here in Greenville that there are things for adults with disabilities to do.”

At Awaken Coffee, they get that opportunity. The idea for the coffee shop had been around since 2018 when they first put together their committee board. In 2019, Awaken Coffee was awarded non-profit status. By February 2020, they had their first popup store.

Like the rest of the world in 2020, Awaken Coffee felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“March 2020, the pandemic hit. And it took the wind out of our sails, we didn’t do much for just about the whole year.” Preston said. “So then we worked for about a year to fundraise our upfit and had our groundbreaking in April 2022 and then we opened up to people in 2023.”

It isn’t just working at the coffee shop that’s been beneficial for the employees. They’ve also been able to attend college classes on various campuses.

The staff at Awake Coffee is excited to have a place where they all feel as if they belong.

“One of my goals is to work with people like myself,” Mary Carver, a staff member at Awaken Coffee said. “This place has helped me grow and it’s helped me see that we all have unique qualities and abilities. We all work together.”

One of the most important revelations to Mary was that the community of Greenville was willing to pitch in to accept the coffee shop for who they are.

”It’s been awesome because the community is inviting us instead of shutting us out,” Mary Carver said. “I’m used to people pushing me away, but now they're embracing me and saying I'm doing a good job and you’re doing well. It’s been awesome.”

Bridget Kiltecoin, a staff member who enjoys writing reviews about films and songs, echoed the same sentiment towards her team.

“Awaken has felt like a community, more than a coffee shop. I’ve been here five or six months, and it feels like I’ve been here for years, and I’ve known these people for so long,” she said.

“It’s been cool. It’s made me feel a bit less lonely.” Britton Circi, another employee at Awaken Coffee said about working there.

The inside of Awaken Coffee is a place for students to study and relax. Whether they choose to do this in the inside of the store, or sitting outside on the patio, the environment gives a sense of comfort. All they ask for in return, is for the community to come in and continue to embrace them.

“Come and see us,” Preston said. “They’ll make this their new favorite place if they come and try us. Come buy a coffee and get to know our employees.”

The Awaken staff feels the exact same way.

“When I was in school for that little bit, I always enjoyed going to the coffee shops and having that relaxed environment. Coming in here, I think they’ll get that: the warmth and the smiles of the staff. It’s a cool place to study.” Carver said. “This is the best opportunity for the community to see that we can do just as good as people who don’t have special needs.”