Maureen Stanko always felt her son, Nick, had so much to give. Nick is 20 and is on the autism spectrum and despite her knowing he had so much to give, what he would do after graduation kept his mom up at night.
"I was lying in bed one night at 3 a.m. I was thinking about, 'Oh man, what's going to happen to him.' You know? It's like it's coming, it's like impending now," Stanko told CBS News.
In Pennsylvania, where they live, students with disabilities can stay in school until they are 22 years old. Stanko says she's heard from many parents of kids with disabilities that they worry about their kids' futures.
"I actually remembered a saying that my father had: 'When you have a problem, pray like hell then get up off your knees and do something.' And that's when it popped in my head: So much to give," she said.
She brought her worry to Nick's therapist, Tyler Kammerle, who told her he had a goal of opening a restaurant to employ people with disabilities. They teamed up with philanthropist Kathy Opperman to make that dream a reality, and about two years later, "so much to give" was no longer just Stanko's mantra. It was a restaurant.
They opened the So Much To Give Inclusive Cafe in Cedars, Pennsylvania in January 2023. They employ 63 people — 80% of employees have a disability – and they work as greeters, food runners, sous chefs, dishwashers and servers.
But the cafe is not only a place to work, it's become a safe space for others with disabilities to dine.
"We never even took Nick to a restaurant before this cafe opened. Because when we used to it wasn't worth it. Because we would spend all this money to go out to eat to be completely stressed out," Stanko said. "This cafe has taught Nick how to sit in a restaurant. Because now we have a place to go, where if he stands up and starts hopping like a bunny or clapping or yelling, nobody cares."
While at So Much To Give, we met Lauren Oppelts, who is hearing impaired and works at the cafe as both a hostess and sign language teacher.
"I never imagined that I would be working as a hostess or server a few years ago. The growth in my self-confidence has been incredible," she reflected. "Many of my colleagues have shown tremendous growth since we first started, and it's truly inspiring."
Initially unsure if Nick, due to his disability and severe food allergies, could work at the cafe, Stanko has been pleasantly surprised by his dedication. Nick now assists in setting up the cafe before it opens, demonstrating a level of independence that has amazed Stanko.
Not content with just the cafe, Stanko's vision extended to creating a space for teaching individuals with disabilities. This led to the establishment of the Inspiration Studio across the street, offering classes in music, life skills, crafts, and more for people with disabilities.
Stanko credits her team and generous donors for making both spaces a reality, emphasizing the importance of community support.
"Initially, I thought So Much To Give was solely about Nick and others with different abilities," she shared. "But through this journey, I've come to realize that everyone, regardless of their abilities, has a unique contribution to offer."
