Serving both customers and staff

All Things Equal, a community cafe that employs young people with disabilities alongside other staff, is celebrating its first anniversary.

The Balaclava eatery is your typical Melbourne diner, serving up smashed avo on toast and chilli scrambled eggs, while also providing those with special needs with the opportunity to have purposeful employment in a “mainstream” work environment.

For many, this is the first time they have had access to paid work.

Since launching 12 months ago the Carlisle Street coffee shop has hired 14 employees with disabilities, who work weekly paid shifts, preparing coffee and food, serving customers and taking orders.

Both staff and their parents gush about the positive effect this initiative has had.

Employee Guy Slome enthuses, “I love meeting different people,” while his mother Amanda told The AJN, “It’s a fantastic initiative which is very well managed,” adding, “it is a joy to see how happy he is at work. He loves being part of the community and All Things Equal has greatly improved his self-esteem, confidence, independence and his communication skills.”

The cafe was founded by a talented board of well-known community members.

Board member Jonathan Wenig said, “We believe that all people should be able to find a self-sustaining purpose in life, allowing everyone to contribute to society in a meaningful way, and maintain a sustainable income, regardless of having a disability or not.

“We have been blown away by the community response to our café,” he added.

Because of overwhelming support over the last 12 months, All Things Equal is hoping to add a further six employees with a disability to its roster of café staff.

The café operations manager Bianca Stern said, “At All Things Equal, we celebrate people just as they are.

“This is the very foundation of our vision.”

All Things Equal is at 263 Carlisle Street, Balaclava. For more information, visit allthingsequal.com.au