You crave a delicious smoothie. What will it be? Plump, sweet strawberries? Fragrant pineapple? Hearing the whirring sounds of a blender combining locally sourced fruits and juices makes your mouth water. Feeling that cold cup in your hand, the blend looks so smooth, and you can’t wait to take that first sip. So refreshing and good for your mind, body, and soul.
What could make this perfectly blended drink taste even better?
Knowing your smoothie has a purpose!
First, some background:
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. According to Statistica, in 2020, 11.2% of Colorado’s population have I/DD—an intellectual and/or developmental disability. Approximately 6.5 million people in the United States fall on this spectrum. Sadly, 80% of people with I/DD are unemployed.
Despite a low unemployment rate here in Colorado, people with I/DD continue to be denied employment, despite protections offered under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Why?
An employer may hesitate to take on the person, especially if they believe that the person will fail. To employ someone with I/DD means providing accommodations, connections, perhaps a job coach, and learning about how to best serve a person who needs a bit more guidance. That can be time-consuming and potentially expensive.
For forward-facing jobs, some customers may believe that the quality of their product diminishes if a disabled person is preparing or delivering it.
But it isn’t true. People with disabilities make excellent, reliable, and productive employees. There are neurodivergent people everywhere. Differently-abled people everywhere–thriving in their jobs. Thriving because someone looked at them beyond their disability and provided an environment where they could excel.
Obtaining employment is just one part of the challenge. Historically, disabled people receive abysmal wages–as little as $1 an hour if employed. It wasn’t until June 2021 that Colorado refused to let employers participate in the federal wage waiver known as Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. The subminimum wage certificate program allows employers to pay a lower wage to people with disabilities.
The waiver argues that if a person can only complete 50% of the job during the same time as a neurotypical person, they should only receive 50% of the pay. Colorado rejected this assertion, and people with disabilities receive the same pay as everyone else.
The question should be whether the position offered matches the person’s ability. If a person cannot do a task requiring fine motor skills, what else is available for them to do that would allow them to contribute to the whole organization? What kind of reasonable accommodation could be placed to empower them?
Focus on what the person CAN do, not what they cannot do.
True employment diversity means equity and inclusion. It means breaking down barriers, having patience, and encouraging growth. It takes a community and people willing to rise to the challenge and create a solution.
In 2018, two people did.
A Vision of Equity and Inclusion
Pos Ryant, the co-founder of Apprentice of Peace Youth Organization, met Mary Medellin Sims, founder of Guided by Humanity. They discovered they had something in common. They desired to employ people who were traditionally underserved and underemployed–disenfranchised youth and people with disabilities. Ryant and Sims realized that the communities they served had another thing in common: A lack of access to nutritious foods and knowledge of healthy eating and food preparation.
Sims and Ryant co-created The Peace and Humanity Smoothie Bus with an emphasis on building community. Youth work alongside adults with I/DD. They earn a wage and learn leadership and job skills.
The Peace and Humanity Smoothie Bus is not your ordinary food truck. The Smoothie Bus is a non-profit. Not only does it provide employment opportunities to youth and people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities in Colorado, the bus hosts pop-up educational workshops and on-site wellness services at festivals and schools throughout the Denver Metro area.
The workshops and on-site wellness services primarily target Denver’s low-income areas subject to “food deserts,” meaning that access to healthy food is limited. The staff members of Guided By Humanity and the Apprentice of Peace Youth Organization teach classes about nutritious and sustainable eating within their wellness workshops and feature local and fresh resources from Colorado organizations. They also teach movement classes, such as Tai Chi, and All-abilities Yoga, and Social-Emotional learning.
Empowering People with I/DD
A supportive environment is crucial to empower people with disabilities or people who have experienced trauma. The Smoothie Bus empowers its employees with thoughtful access that focuses on the person’s strengths. Instruction menus are cleverly laid out with pictures and words that are easily followed.
A coach is available to encourage and guide one person through a task. Each employee has a meaningful job to complete and is a worthy and essential team member. Feeling valued makes a difference for the people employed by the Smoothie Bus. Jocelyn Roy, a Smoothie Bus employee, said this in her interview with PBS:
“I am grateful that I have a big community. The people at Smoothie Bus are like family to me,” Roy said. “Some of my challenges were that people would make fun of how I talk, stare at me or say mean things to me. I mustered up the strength to overcome those insecurities because I didn’t want to stay stuck somewhere that didn’t benefit me or miss out on opportunities.”
By supporting Denver’s The Peace and Humanity Smoothie Bus, you are helping sustain a supportive employment opportunity for people with I/DD.
A Successful Vision
The business model is a success. With gorgeous, tasty smoothies at enviable price points between $5-$8 an item, business is brisk, and The Smoothie Bus is showing up all over the Denver Metro area. In 2022, the Smoothie Bus was a regular on Sundays at Jazz in the Park, Thursdays at Movie Night at Founders Green, and was the highlight of the PASCO picnic! The Smoothie Bus was recently at Meow Wolf and is a regular at the First Friday Art Walk in the Santa Fe Arts District.
How do you track down a bus that is constantly in motion? Fans and future fans are encouraged to find out about the next Smoothie Bus stop by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
After the pandemic, people are starting to gather again, and the desire for food trucks increases. Food truck carnivals and food truck rentals to enhance an event are popular. There are many choices of food trucks, but only one Smoothie Bus that provides a quality product and supports at-risk youth and people with I/DD.
The Peace and Humanity Smoothie Bus is the perfect complement for special events, like fundraisers, back-to-school nights, group picnics, athletic events, charity walks, farmers markets, art show openings, fashion week, and even wedding receptions and parties!
The Smoothie Bus is so much more than a delicious smoothie. The Smoothie Bus builds community through cooperative learning and supportive employment. It also gives back to the community. Your purchase or rental of the truck is an act of ethical purchasing. Put your money and energy into areas that have the most impact. The Peace and Humanity Smoothie Bus are making a difference, one smoothie at a time.
Per Mary Medellin Sims of Guided by Humanity and co-founder of The Smoothie Bus, “This programming paired with healthy smoothies is meant to be inclusive, trauma-sensitive, and accessible to EveryBODY and EveryABILITY.”
A perfect blend of health and inclusion!
Are you ready to enjoy a delicious smoothie and give back to your community?
The Peace and Humanity Smoothie Bus schedule is filling quickly!
The pandemic put-off is REAL! Event spaces, food trucks, and catering, including The Smoothie Bus, are getting booked quickly.If you have an event coming up, fill out an interest form or email info@smoothiebus.co.
For immediate quotes, call (303) 437-9466.
Book or visit The Smoothie Bus, all while enjoying healthy smoothies. It’s good Karma in a cup!
Check out this video from PBS!
Want to take a yoga class? Visit Guided by Humanity and sign up.
