Inclusive Blend Coffee
The Arc of Midland is partnering with like-minded organizations who through their supportive actions, desire to make a difference on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The sharing of Inclusive Blend is one example!
How Inclusive Coffee Came to Be
Just after the birth of my first child, I can remember our first coffee shop opening in Midland. I would say to friends, “Do you want to meet for coffee?” It was never really to meet for coffee, it was to meet for conversation. There were several of us, we would bring our babies, books, knitting, (I didn’t even knit because I am left-handed and can’t figure it out) or maybe even a project to work on. While in the coffee shop, over the course of several hours, we would not complete a single project, but we would engage in great conversation!
Today, I say “do you want to have coffee?” And it is never for coffee. It is still for conversation! I love everything about the idea of going out for coffee and how I feel when I am “having coffee”, in a coffee shop, sipping coffee on a patio , at the kitchen table, in a park or while in the office. However, it is the conversations and relationships that I continue to enjoy the most!
- Laurel Bucci, Executive Director
Why “Inclusive Blend” ?
Inclusive Blend will have many connotations. To some they might just like the name, maybe they identify with it. Maybe you just don’t know what it means, but it sparks your interest. The hope is that you will want to know more. The idea is that it gets people talking. Talking within themselves, as large corporations, individuals or agencies, and then The Arc of Midland will become a partner and be invited to have conversations about ways of becoming more inclusive!
Inclusive Blend is a conversation starter! Conversations build relationships! Relationships are what we live for!
Partnering for People® is a way for us to come together year-round. Inclusive Blend® coffee provides a creative platform to expand conversation, with the potential for advancing our community and providing more inclusive opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
This has the potential to increase friendships, employment opportunities, acceptance, understanding, basic respect, community integration, with attention to valuing all people and affording them opportunities to participate in existing programs, instead of creating separate programs specifically for people with disabilities or other marginalized groups.
The Arc of Midland would like to engage in conversations with you, specifically - how to be more inclusive! If you don’t know about us, we are an organization with expertise in community building and advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our organization has been serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 70 years.
Partnering for People® was created in 2021 just after COVID at The Arc of Midland. Partnerships are important to us, and vital to our existence. Inclusive Blend® coffee was the catalyst for creating community conversations over coffee as we delivered coffee to people and invited people for coffee to have conversations about this much needed topic.
See the impact your purchase will have!
Each bag of coffee sold helps The Arc of Midland continue their work within the community and your purchase matters!
This is just one way we are Partnering for People®. With the help of Live Oak Coffeehouse, we are spreading the word about our work and our partnership!
