We are a newly formed small business - Coffee Closet with Barista Jake that is also 501c3  (under the name Jakes Baristas)

When Jake was born we knew there was something not quite "typical" about him. Maybe it was mothers instinct.

His development was very slow and finally after begging for an evaluation At 17 months of age he began treatment 3-4 times a week. OT, PT, Speech, Sensory and Cognitive therapy became part of our daily life. In September of 2003 we were told that our beautiful son had Autism and that his future abilities were unknown - there was a high chance that he would not speak in full sentences, run, write or live independently.

21 years, tens of thousands of dollars and 10 million tears later my son is living proof that Children on the Spectrum should never be counted out. Parents that are given that terrible news need to know that while it may feel that way at the time - AUTISM is NOT a deal breaker in the future accomplishments of our children.

With the right early intervention and therapies your children may recover lost language , gain and develop new skills and blow you away with their abilities.

Jakes speech therapy was a huge success, so much so that my husband and I often joke that it would be nice to get some of the money back since he talks from morning to night, even to himself. However, he was socially awkward. Very one sided in his conversation. Often just reciting scripted language. He never really connected with his peers, preferring the engagement of adults.

On the day of his HS graduation, Jake was the last to be called onstage. He froze, terrified. The room was stalk still and you could hear a pin drop when all of the sudden our oldest son bellowed from the crowd “COME ON JAKE” and with that the room erupted into chants, cheers and a standing ovation as our son quite reluctantly walked out to receive his Diploma. It was Beautiful to witness. 

One of the most stressful and difficult things we as his parents had to deal with through his life was the What’s. What will he do for a job? What kind of worker would he be? What if we never identify his passion? The only thing he ever expressed any real interest in was the production companies of movies. He was and remains well versed on who produced what movie and when etc. However, that could not translate into a career so the WHAT got bigger. His coffee obsession seemed at first to just be about enjoying pushing the buttons on the Kuerig or pulling the knob of of the dispenser at the area bodega or mini mart helping his dad make a cup of coffee.

This grew over about a years time to him watching you tube videos about the history and origin of all things wawa, 7-11, sheetz, starbucks, dunkin etc. He could recite such specific things but I chalked it up to Jake being Jake. Then he was watching coffee roasting videos, researching the best dairy to add to coffee, the right water to use and so on. It was one day in particular when for Christmas he asked me for a book he found on Amazon about starting a coffee business that I started to really pay attention.

What started out as him catering to his fathers caffeine addiction became way more than we every expected.

My husband and I own a record store in our hometown of Norristown, PA and during the COVID enforced shutdown we held two curbside coffee cart fundraisers. Our community, family and friends generously donated their money, time and supplies to make Jake's dream come true. With his donations he was able to commission the construction of a custom coffee cart called "Coffee Closet with Barista Jake" that is now a permanent structure inside our record store - Vinyl Closet Records.

On Saturday June 13th, exactly 1 year from the day he graduated high school, our Autistic son with severe ADHD and Anxiety/OCD opened his own business.

Since that day people have come from far and wide to show support to Jake and our mission.

To date, We have donated almost $18K in money and supplies/toys/clothes/food to our local charity partners including Norristown Chapter of the National Best Buddies Organization, The Jake Moletzsky Run2Remember Foundation, Finding Shelter, Norristown Dreamers Gangster Vegan Feed The Block, Expressive Paths, Laurel House, Variety Club, Norristown Vet Center, American Diabetes Association, Eli and Ella Prayer Warriors, The Barista Jake Scholarship at NAHS, Feeding the homeless of Norristown, First Responders & Einstein Hospital Toy Drive, Cribs for Kids, The Gaffney/Norton Family, Eagles Autism Challenge, Variety Club, Eli and Ellas Prayer Warriors, Multiple Scholarships and many more.

We have been featured on several local news outlets (Localish, FYI Philly, PBS, The Times Herald, Autism Speaks and Lower Providence Living Magazine). 

Our official mission statement:

“Jake's Baristas aims to help teens and adults with special needs gain work and interview experience, social skills, and resume building.

Through employment education, entrepreneurship and grassroots philanthropy, we plan to eliminate common barriers to success that typically affect those with special needs. With these fundamental and foundational pillars, the individuals we serve will see increased opportunity in meaningful jobs and workplace experiences. We are focused on the aspirations of people and communities we serve, as we fulfill Jake's Baristas' primary mission through our core values: compassion, transparency, and generosity.”