On Sunday, October 22nd, So Much to Give Cafe hosted its first fall fest fundraiser from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Skippack Village to celebrate the restaurant’s one-year anniversary. The event was packed with activities ranging from pumpkin painting, cornhole, a costume contest, raffles, live music, and lots of food.
Last November, several nonprofit organizations raised enough money to open the inclusive business allowing special needs students to be more engaged in the community.
“A lot of them have gotten other jobs, they’re happier in school, and their parents have reported that they’re doing things around the house,” assistant manager Kelsey Miller said.
Manager and organizer of the festival Tyler Kommerle mentioned how honored he felt to see so many people stopping by to support a great cause. The event was a huge success with over 70% of the cafe’s employees and their families attending the gathering.
“Fostering friendships and relationships between employees is really big here,” Miller said.
Justin DiFilippo, a 21-year-old employee is a greeter and host at So Much to Give Cafe and has been working since day one. Every first and third Friday of the month, DiFilippo assists in trivia night by reading an assortment of music, sports, general knowledge and Disney-categorized questions. He loves his job and looks forward to graduating from Methacton High School this spring.
Trivia organizer Emilie McGinley works full time at the cafe where she cooks meals, helps employees take orders and organizes games like bingo night. With all the time she spends with the workers, she has gotten to know them really well.
“I love seeing the progress of the guys and the improvement from when we opened to now,” McGinley said.
Bridget Hopkins, a 32-year-old graduate of Methacton High School began working at the cafe in December of 2022 and recently started running an American Sign Language (ASL) program for the restaurant.
“I have loved watching my daughter gain her confidence back as she develops more friendships,” mother Colleen Hopkins said. “The comradery here is amazing.”
On Friday November 3rd at 6.pm. So Much To Give will hold the first trivia night of the month where community members are encouraged to stop in and enjoy a meal while they play.