A Place to Belong

When Kait Gillis-Hanna opened her coffee shop, in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, not far from Someone To Tell It To’s office, it was about more than lattes and pastries—it was about creating a place where everyone belongs. By intentionally hiring people with disabilities, Kait has cultivated a workplace rooted in dignity, purpose, and connection. And, yes, excellent coffees, and pastries, too!

Our podcast this week features Kait, in a touching conversation about what inspired her to open the shop and to hire those living with neurodiversity as well as neurotypicality. In this conversation, we talk with Kait about her vision, the challenges and joys of building an inclusive team, and the transformative power of belonging at work (and in life, in general). Her story reminds us that when we make space for everyone’s gifts, we enrich not only our workplaces, but our communities as well.

Kait and her husband Mena have a four-year old daughter, Nour, who was born with Down Syndrome. Nour means “the light” in Arabic. Their precious daughter is truly a beautiful light in their family’s lives. When Nour was born they immediately began dreaming of how life would look for her. As any loving parent would, they wanted only the very best for her. 

As they looked into the future, when it came to employment, they wanted to make sure there were spaces where all people were truly welcome. That, combined with the high unemployment rate for individuals living with disabilities, inspired them to create Nour.

Nour opened two years ago in a light-filled space, appropriately, that is entirely welcoming to the broad diversity of the surrounding community. No matter who comes in, they are welcome. It’s a safe place for those who come in for a drink or treat and for those who work there. Often, though it may be largely unspoken, not every place is so overtly welcoming of those living with neurodiversity. Many who are differently-abled can often feel unwelcome in places that are not very accommodating to their circumstances and needs. For those of us who have had people at nearby tables get up and leave rather than sit near someone with a disability, we know the feeling. But Nour is different. Nour is happily accommodating to those who have often historically been marginalized and not included. Nour is making the statement that everyone is welcome, especially in their differences.

Nour’s website cites that people with neurodiversity are more likely to be unemployed than people with any other disability. Unemployment for adults with neurodiversity runs at least as high as 30-40% which is three times the rate for people with disability, and eight times the rate for people without disabilities. Kait Gillis-Hanna wants to live in a world where people of all abilities have the opportunity for meaningful employment if possible. “So we're going to create it”, she declared! 

If you don’t know what neurotypical refers to, it’s someone with a brain that functions within what society considers the "standard" or "typical" range of neurological development and behavior. In contrast, neurodiversity describes a person whose brain processes information, who learns, and who behaves in a way that deviates from these accepted societal norms, encompassing conditions like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. Neurodivergence is not a disease but a natural form of human diversity, with neurodivergent individuals often possessing unique strengths alongside challenges that neurotypical people may not experience.  

Several Someone To Tell It To team members have children and grandchildren who live with neurodiversity. So, this subject is especially close to our hearts. The fact of a coffee shop in our area that exists to explicitly welcome people such as our family members and friends as customers and as employees, is a light for our souls and spirits. Anyone who sees our children who are different from the norm as equally important, welcome, and belonging is a gift and a light in our lives.

We say it, write it, and (we hope) model it  over and over again, that having the belief that all people are deserving of dignity, respect, and inclusion in every aspect of life, is a foundational element of our values as people and as an organization. It is the central tenet of our mission. 

It is the light that shines in the darkness of a world that for far too long has marginalized those who are different because of their neurodiversity. We believe that they deserve the same dignity as those living with neurotypicality.

Nour helps them to belong. Nour truly is their light. 

Photo by Peter Burdon on Unsplash