“It becomes harder and harder as kids get older to find the right opportunities. A lot of places will serve kids until about 12, and then it drops off.” Christina’s son, Skylar, is 16. “We wanted to find something where he could learn, be more independent, and build new skills.” “I found Kindred Bakery at the INCLUDEnyc fair. I was thrilled to find a place teaching vocational skills and doing it with something fun, baking! I spoke to Qiana Daniels (Kindred Bakery co-founder)

“At Kindred, he has someone next to him, helping him with baking. They help him refocus and teach him that he can start something and end something... he’s starting to open up and talk more about the things he did during the day, who he met, and what he did.” — Nicole From Nicole, mom of Tyrell, a Kindred Bakery participant: “I was born and raised in New York. I used to work as a computer programmer and then I decided I wanted to do something to give back. My mom was a teache

“It allows my son to reach his full potential,” Denise, Devon’s mom. Kindred Participant, Devon with his mom Denise. “I like making food and seeing new faces every Saturday. It makes me feel proud of myself,” says Devon, reflecting on his experience with Kindred Bakery. “Devon was with Kindred for two months this summer and he would go every Thursday and Saturday to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum [summer pop-up]. Now he’s at the West Village baking program on Saturdays.” adds

“ Everyone there [at Kindred] treated me like a person and not like an autistic person, but like a person with autism and I thought that was really nice because I had yet to have that experience"- Idara “My daughter’s name is Idara. She’s seventeen, loves to bake, and has lived in Brooklyn her whole life. We found Kindred about a year ago, completely by luck. I was on LinkedIn, saw a post, and messaged Nigel. When we spoke, I told him about Idara, how she’s autistic, and tha

Meet Raphael, he started as a volunteer participant at Kindred and now helps run the Kindred newsletter and leads baking lessons out of the Greenwich House location. He recently earned his food handler’s license with support from Kindred and continues to grow his skills both in and out of the kitchen. Raphael, Kindred Participant “When I joined Kindred, I was in a bit of a rough spot. I had recently lost my job as a barista… the café closed down… and I just felt directionles

Kindred Voices is a series of profiles of Kindred Bakery BK's program participants and their family members.

Kindred Voices is a series of profiles of Kindred Bakery BK's program participants and their family members.

Kindred Voices is a series of profiles of program participants and their family members.

Kindred Voices is a new series led by Emma, a Kindred volunteer, created to share the experiences of program participants and their families in their own words. These are honest reflections on growth, confidence, belonging, and what inclusion looks like in real time.