The staff at Bake Ability are dedicated to serving up yummy treats and plenty of smiles (Source: Bake Ability).
Bake Ability, a savory and sweet specialties bakery located in Holicong, has quickly become a pillar of the community for not only serving up delicious baked goods hand-crafted with love, but also for its dedication to uplifting men and women with intellectual disabilities.
Bake Ability’s mission is to give individuals with different abilities a chance to learn a trade while being mentored by professionals. It also gives them the opportunity to contribute to and be a bigger part of the community.
Paula Fasciano, the bakery’s owner, told Access Network that there is a staggering level of unemployment among people with disabilities. A rate has high as 80 to 85%.
Fasciano currently has 18 employees and there is a waitlist for when new positions open.
On her favorite part of working with her team, she explained, “I love to see the excitement for a job well done. My two sons work here.”
She said that the biggest challenge is finding consistency in training and procedures for 18 employees with different personalities, and different strengths and weaknesses
“We need to meet them where they are, but we are still a business.”
Fasciano makes sure there is plenty of support for her staff. Some of them come to work with a support person and the bakery provides job coaches.
She added, “I wish more people would see the benefits of what we do. Many don’t understand the depth of what we can accomplish.
The team at Bake Ability hand crafts both savory and sweet treats like Breakfast Pizzettes, Egg White Frittata Muffins, Cheddar Cheese Scones, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cupcakes and Iced Marble Brownies.
They also offer gluten-free cookies and cupcakes made in a separate gluten-free kitchen
The bakery partners with the nonprofit Recipe for Life which was founded in 2022 by a group of community members who saw the need for a local organization to help individuals with developmental disabilities gain employment. The nonprofit partners with other local organizations like Bake Ability that also serve the adult population living with developmental disabilities. You can help support its mission by donating here.
Fasciano added that Bake Ability is looking for a network of parents to replicate what they have done in other locations.
“We have a great model and would love to partner with others.”
For more information about Bake Ability or to order some yummy treats, click here.
