LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — Vanilla and birthday cake are just a couple of the flavors offered at Howdy Homemade Ice Cream in Lee’s Summit.
The shop, which just opened Friday, May 16, also has one extra special ingredient: inclusion.
Tommy Webb was hired a couple of weeks ago for what he calls his “first real job.”
Diagnosed with autism, he now has co-workers with whom he can relate.
He’s one of the 12 “heroes” — as the shop refers to employees with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Since the opening, they’ve been busy.
One of the reasons for the many new clients is the sense of belonging that goes beyond the counter.
Kayla Daugherty took her 5-year-old daughter for some ice cream. Penelope also has an autism diagnosis.
"That is something that we think about as special needs parents: Are my kids going to be able to hold down a job?” Daugherty said.
This was a fear Tommy's mom also had.
“There are so few opportunities for kids and young adults like Tommy to succeed,” said Sharona Wood, Tommy's mother.
But now, watching him get his first paycheck, she feels like she can breathe easier.
"He's doing all the wonderful things that we had hoped for,” Wood said.
Tyreka Smith, one of the minds behind the nonprofit TNC Community, said her employees can "do anything."
"Sometimes you don't want to just be the minority in a business or in a room. Sometimes you want to be part of the majority," Smith said.
Howdy is a franchise, but in Lee’s Summit, the shop is owned and operated by TNC Community. The nonprofit works to create opportunities for the future, one scoop at a time.
"Maybe when she turns whatever age, she can come and work here too,” Daugherty said of her daughter.
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KSHB 41 reporter Fe Silva covers education stories involving K-12. Share your story idea with Fe.
