I/DD
Spotlight On
Spotlight On: Misericordia Hearts & Flour Bakery
CapGrow
•
October 3, 2016
The smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies hanging in the air. The sound of John Mellencamp’s Jack and Diane playing in the background while a chorus of voices talk about a Chicago Cubs game and laugh at a joke. The scene one encounters when walking into the room does a fine job of living up to the name - this is the Hearts and Flour Bakery. Located in Misericordia’s Greenhouse Inn Restaurant, Hearts and Flour Bakery serves as an opportunity for residents at Misericordia to develop skills to improve their independence and obtain valuable work experience.
The Hearts and Flour Bakery has been a part of the Misericordia community for a number of years, but fourteen years ago they decided to take the business online and open it up to orders from people outside of the community and their families. They figured that the bakery was strong enough that it could be self-sustaining and it could handle approximately 500 online orders. Those 500 estimated orders turned out to be 1,500 in reality . After that experience it became clear that the program was going to be bigger than anticipated, and so it was decided that a full-time team would be brought in to help out.
Today the bakery employs 5 professional chefs that come in to work at different times. Typically there are at least 6-8 residents working in the bakery at one time with an occasional volunteer or two joining them and a staff member. The jobs vary quite a bit while still offering the residents a very manageable workload that helps them hone their skills and learn how to be independent. Some of these tasks include: cutting brownies into their signature heart shape, wrapping treats for sale, and organizing packages for large orders.
How do the residents feel about working in the Bakery? They love it! Alaina, a five year bakery veteran, likes “working with a lot of different people.” Maxwell, who has worked at the bakery for 4 years, and Carly, who has worked at the bakery for only two years, have taken some of the skills they’ve learned from the bakery and applied it to their other jobs as White Sox Fan Force Ambassadors. Carly has also been able to take her experience and use it at her job as a Trader Joe’s Stock Floor Crew member. What’s clear when one talks to these individuals is that the bakery provides a sense of community for everyone involved; it’s a space to be independent while growing together.
Since its inception, Hearts and Flowers has prospered and continued to grow. They currently ship nationwide via UPS, and have expanded to sell in farmer’s markets around Chicago in places like Daley Plaza and Federal Plaza. Hearts and Flowers has received a lot of media attention and their baked goods have been known to be enjoyed by the likes of Tom Hanks, David Schwimmer, and Snoop Dogg. Make yourself an order of their iconic heart-shaped brownies, tulip cookies, or any of their other fantastic baked goods at https://www.misericordia.com/bakery.aspx!
The Hearts and Flour Bakery has been a part of the Misericordia community for a number of years, but fourteen years ago they decided to take the business online and open it up to orders from people outside of the community and their families. They figured that the bakery was strong enough that it could be self-sustaining and it could handle approximately 500 online orders. Those 500 estimated orders turned out to be 1,500 in reality . After that experience it became clear that the program was going to be bigger than anticipated, and so it was decided that a full-time team would be brought in to help out.
Today the bakery employs 5 professional chefs that come in to work at different times. Typically there are at least 6-8 residents working in the bakery at one time with an occasional volunteer or two joining them and a staff member. The jobs vary quite a bit while still offering the residents a very manageable workload that helps them hone their skills and learn how to be independent. Some of these tasks include: cutting brownies into their signature heart shape, wrapping treats for sale, and organizing packages for large orders.
How do the residents feel about working in the Bakery? They love it! Alaina, a five year bakery veteran, likes “working with a lot of different people.” Maxwell, who has worked at the bakery for 4 years, and Carly, who has worked at the bakery for only two years, have taken some of the skills they’ve learned from the bakery and applied it to their other jobs as White Sox Fan Force Ambassadors. Carly has also been able to take her experience and use it at her job as a Trader Joe’s Stock Floor Crew member. What’s clear when one talks to these individuals is that the bakery provides a sense of community for everyone involved; it’s a space to be independent while growing together.
Since its inception, Hearts and Flowers has prospered and continued to grow. They currently ship nationwide via UPS, and have expanded to sell in farmer’s markets around Chicago in places like Daley Plaza and Federal Plaza. Hearts and Flowers has received a lot of media attention and their baked goods have been known to be enjoyed by the likes of Tom Hanks, David Schwimmer, and Snoop Dogg. Make yourself an order of their iconic heart-shaped brownies, tulip cookies, or any of their other fantastic baked goods at https://www.misericordia.com/bakery.aspx! Industry News from CapGrow
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