LA JOLLA (Press Release) — After being closed for 20 months due to the pandemic, the JCC is thrilled to announce that the JCC’s coffee shop, The Bean, is once again open for business. And it’s not just business as usual. The Bean now features premium small batch coffee through a partnership with another local San Diego business, Snakebite, and has been revitalized as an opportunity for the J to live its value of inclusivity.
Since reopening in November 2021, the Bean has been staffed by clients of The Arc of San Diego. The Arc of San Diego is the largest and most comprehensive provider of services for individuals with disabilities in San Diego County, with the noble mission to support and empower people with disabilities to achieve their life goals. They advocate for diversity of opportunities, enhancing individual life choices as a member of the community.
“The JCC has proudly cultivated a culture of inclusion within our center for over 26 years, and this new partnership is bringing its facility to the next level of inclusivity. We are building off of the amazing work in the inclusive space here at our J for so many years. We are proud to partner with an organization whose mission and vision aligns with our own vision of inclusion for all individuals participating in our community and look for this partnership to not just stop with the employment within The Bean, but also for it to spread throughout the center as our inclusion program continues to grow,” explained Betzy Lynch, CEO.
The Bean will remain a hub for individuals to gather and will also serve as a connector to the greater community. The long-term plan for the Bean is to support other local businesses and organizations within the shop by selling locally created arts and crafts, sweets, and other items crafted or created by individuals with disabilities.
Looking ahead, the reopening of The Bean with our partnership with The Arc of San Diego is just one of many new inclusion initiatives. The JCC has already begun construction on the first universally accessible and inclusive park in San Diego. This will be built on the grounds of the JCC in partnership with Shane’s Inspiration, a not-for-profit organization that specializes in constructing such parks. This is only made possible by the generosity of many, including a $1 million dollar gift from Hanna and Mark Gleiberman. We are also thrilled to be piloting JCC Maccabi Access as a part of the 2022 JCC Maccabi Games®, which will give Jewish teens with cognitive disabilities the opportunity to be a part of these Olympic style games.
For more information about Lawrence Family JCC | JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, visit www.lfjcc.org.
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Preceding provided by the Lawrence Family JCC