JCC and The Arc of San Diego partner to bring coffee and inclusion

The Bean staff members Nikhil Homes and Max Morpeth. COURTESY PHOTO

After being closed for 20 months due to the pandemic, the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla announced that the center’s coffee shop, The Bean, is open for business.

And it’s not just business as usual. The Bean now features premium small-batch coffee through a partnership with another San Diego business, Snakebite, and has been revitalized as an opportunity for inclusivity.

Since reopening in 2021, The Bean has been staffed by clients of The Arc of San Diego, which is the largest and most comprehensive provider of services for individuals with disabilities in San Diego County. The Arc advocates for the diversity of opportunities, and enhancing individual life choices as a member of the community.

“The JCC has proudly cultivated a culture of inclusion within our center for over 26 years, and this new partnership is bringing its facility to the next level of inclusivity. We are building off of the amazing work in the inclusive space here at our J for so many years,” said CEO Betzy Lynch.

“We are proud to partner with an organization whose mission and vision aligns with our own vision of inclusion for all individuals participating in our community and look for this partnership to not just stop with the employment within The Bean, but also for it to spread throughout the center as our inclusion program continues to grow,” Lynch said.

The Bean will remain a hub for individuals to gather and will also serve as a connector to the greater community. The long-term plan for the shop is to support other local businesses and organizations by selling locally created arts and crafts, sweets, and other items crafted or created by individuals with disabilities.

JCC has also begun construction on the first universally accessible and inclusive park in San Diego. This park will be built on the grounds of the JCC in partnership with Shane’s Inspiration, a nonprofit organization that specializes in constructing such parks. This is made possible by the generosity of many, including a $1 million gift from Hanna and Mark Gleiberman.

Also, the center is piloting JCC Maccabi Access as a part of the 2022 JCC Maccabi Games, which will give Jewish teens with cognitive disabilities the opportunity to be a part of these Olympic-style games. For more information about Lawrence Family JCC, visit lfjcc.org.