Hannah Lemieux (center), owner of GrandMa’s Donuts & Coffee, at 1972 Acushnet Ave., New Bedford, helped a SMEC student serve donuts to customers during a recent job-shadowing event. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative)
NEW BEDFORD — Jaitzy Burgos and Cedric Duro both hustled to hand out honey-dipped rings and Boston creams. They wore donut designs on their T-shirts and smiled at hungry, happy customers, as they learned life lessons from behind a donut shop counter.
Burgos and Duro were just two of a dozen young adults from the Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative’s (SMEC) Transitional Services Program (TSP) who job-shadowed at GrandMa’s Donuts & Coffee on Tuesday morning, practicing community access and integration, independent living and job skills.
SMEC Student Services Director Kim Wilmot watched as SMEC staff paired up with about a dozen 18-to 21-year-old young adults with developmental disabilities over several shifts from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, June 3.
“Students in the Transitional Services Program practice vocational skills, independent living skills and community access on a regular basis, including at our on-site cafe, which is open to students and staff on Friday mornings,” Ms. Wilmot said. “And we were so fortunate to be able to come out here for this great partnership with GrandMa’s Donuts, to give students the opportunity to practice those skills in a real-life business setting, with members of the community.”
The SMEC TSP young adults provided counter service, cleaned up after diners and packed white boxes with glazed, powdered and jelly-stuffed donuts.
GrandMa’s Donuts owner Hannah Lemieux said her son helped inspire the shop’s partnership with SMEC.
“This was everything I ever imagined,” Lemieux said. “Our donut shop held this event because I have an autistic son of my own, and there’s nothing out there for these children or young adults.”
GrandMa’s Donuts & Coffee, at 1972 Acushnet Ave., New Bedford, has been open since 1955, serving classic donuts, pastries and much more, using the same recipes for more than 70 years.
Hannah Lemieux and her mother, Sheila, worked with SMEC staff to carefully guide the TSP students through all the steps of customer service.
Besides Burgos and Duro, students Bridgette O’Gara, Sylvia Belanger, Dakota Bussy, Jake Cerce and Rylee Ramos took turns wiping down counters and serving up muffins.
Hannah Lemieux told the students and SMEC staffers that Tuesday’s overflowing tip bowl will fund a pizza party for the student helpers.
TSP teachers Deb Frias, Will Hoffman and Jen Levasseur wore “SMEC” T-shirts and played pivotal roles in setting up Tuesday’s activity and teaching the students the skills that made it so successful.
“Thank you to everybody who came out to support our students,” said Ms. Wilmot.
This was the first collaboration between SMEC and GrandMa’s, but it likely won’t be the last.
SMEC offers special education programs and services for students ages 3-21, and adult service programs for those over 22. The collaborative’s TSP serves students with developmental disabilities ages 18-21 from throughout Greater New Bedford and surrounding areas.
“We are grateful to the owners and staff of GrandMa’s Donuts for seeing the value of giving students and adults with disabilities an opportunity to acquire valuable job skills in an inclusive community environment,” said SMEC Executive Director Catherine Cooper.
About SMEC
The Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative is a public education collaborative established in 1975. SMEC is an extension of 10 public school systems, which make up its membership. The present membership includes the Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, Rochester and Old Rochester Regional public school districts. SMEC accepts students for enrollment in its programs from school systems throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. The Collaborative’s programs and services are locally based and locally directed and are designed to supplement the special education resources of its member districts. SMEC offers a variety of services for students with special needs aged 3-21 as well as adults with developmental disabilities. To learn more about the Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative, visit smecollaborative.org.
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Good friends of the shop’s owners, Hildie Aguiar and her son Brayden, also participated during a recent job shadowing day at GrandMa’s Donuts. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative)
Cedric Duro, Jaitzy Burgos and Rylee Ramos had the opportunity to work behind the counter of GrandMa’s Donuts & Coffee in New Bedford on Tuesday. All three are enrolled in SMEC’s Transitional Services Program. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative)
Under the watchful eye of Will Hoffman, her teacher at SMEC, Jaitzy Burgos wiped down a counter after a customer finished their donut and coffee and left the shop. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative)
Jaitzy Burgos received some cash register training at GrandMa’s Donuts & Coffee. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative)
SMEC student Bridgette O’Gara and longtime former donut shop proprietor Sheila Lemieux (the business has been passed down to her daughter Hannah) wait on a pair of customers on Tuesday morning. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative)
SMEC students Jaitzy Burgos and Rylee Ramos await the next donut order behind the counter at GrandMa’s Donuts & Coffee in New Bedford on Tuesday. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative)
SMEC students Cedric Duro and Jaitzy Burgos help Hannah Lemieux pack up a dozen donuts. (Photo Courtesy Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative)
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