The Sunshine Stop is a non-profit that employs students with disabilities in the Minnetonka area. The business first came to fruition in March when Ty Bricker met with special education teacher Bailey Hanson to discuss her business idea. A few months later, the idea came to life, and nearly 20 students were employed for the summer.
“After our first meeting, it was full speed ahead,” says Ty. “We didn’t let perfect get in the way of progress.”
The idea behind the Sunshine Stop is to give every student an equal opportunity. While many children have jobs throughout the summer, others aren’t given the same chance.
“Every year, we have students who head back to school and are asked what they did for a summer job. We want to allow everyone to answer that question,” says Bailey.
Throughout this past summer, the Sunshine Stop sold lemonade and snack boxes at the Excelsior farmer’s market. Each shift hosted between four to 12 employees, two managers, and numerous volunteers who provided one-on-one training to each employee, empowering them to do their jobs to the fullest. The shifts were typically two days per week with a two-hour shift per person.
Sunshine Stop’s goal is to have their employees do as much work as they can independently. However, if an employee is unable to perform a specific task, the managers will rework the system to cater to their needs.
“Regular jobs aren’t built on an easily modifiable structure,” explains Ty. “We want to create a system that can accommodate everyone’s needs, allowing each employee to be independent within the job setting.”
To help their team become independent, the non-profit hosts socials on a bi-weekly basis. At the socials, the employees and volunteers work together on a specific skill set, such as arts and crafts. Some of the team’s favorite socials include snowcone creation, water bottle making, and team bonfires.
“The socials are a fun gathering that enables us to see if we can hone specific skills differently and utilize them in our business in the future,” says Ty.
Although the business just got up and running for the first time this summer, the Sunshine Stop is looking forward to going beyond summertime work. “We hope to employ more individuals with a disability and provide them with meaningful employment,” says Ty. “Seeing our employees receive their first physical paycheck and the pride on their faces is by far the best part of our job. We hope to continue providing them a workspace that they love to come back to,” says Bailey.
You can find the Sunshine Stop at Excelsior Brewing this fall on Friday, November 8th. The three-hour event from 6:30 - 9:30pm will include live music, food, beverages, and a silent auction. All of the proceeds from the evening will go toward the salaries of the employees at the Sunshine Stop.
Learn more and see how you can get involved on their Instagram page @thesunshinestop or on their Facebook page here: The Sunshine Sto
Seeing our employees receive their first physical paycheck and the pride on their faces is by far the best part of our job. We hope to continue providing them a workspace that they love to come back to.