OSKALOOSA, Iowa — A brand-new cafe is slated to open in Oskaloosa this summer, and its creation has been a long time coming.
For nearly 10 years, Oskaloosa special education teacher Sarah DeRonde has had a dream of opening a cafe for her students.
"I’ve been dreaming about it for like 10 years in the hopes that we could come up with something, and last year presented it to a couple people who then said 'Present it to the superintendent and our administration,' and they loved it," DeRonde said.
The cafe is meant to serve as a site for realistic work experiences for students with developmental disabilities, and the project is entirely funded by private community donors.
"It's just touching to know that everybody supports our students the way they do, the population that we're working with, and I think we all know that it could potentially provide some opportunities of betterment in our community," DeRonde added.
Already, it's been not only a learning experience but one packed with fun for the students involved.
Brody Allman and Charisa Bollman are just some of the students preparing to open Spirit Cafe.
"I just like to work with people, mainly just help," Bollman said.
"I like sweeping the floor and wiping the windows, I like cleaning," Allman said.
It's not just students from special education classes involved in the development. Oskaloosa art students painted the cafe's staple artwork, while other classes like marketing and accounting will be involved once the cafe opens publicly.
DeRonde said the massive community support means so much to her and the students.
"It's been very overwhelming at times, we are just so thankful and so excited to have the kids in here," DeRonde said. “I want them to have a purpose every single day in life."
DeRonde said they are finishing up the kitchen and will then seek licensing from the state. Then, the cafe will be open for soft launches so the students can get practice.
They hope Spirit Cafe will be fully open to the public by the summer.