Celebrating Three Years of Kindred

by Raphael Brown, Kindred Participant

My name is Raphael, and I am a freelance writer, content creator, and Kindred Bakery participant. Before joining Kindred, I was fresh out of college and eager to start a career in writing and communications. Now, I not only use those skills to write pieces like this, but I’m also building new ones. 

What I like most about Kindred is working alongside others on the autism spectrum—baking, practicing interpersonal skills, even running a business together. We help one another build a real sense of community.

This month marks two milestones for Kindred Bakery BK: our third anniversary as a nonprofit, and second since launching programming at the Flatbush Caribbean Marketplace. In that short time, we’ve grown from a single class in a shared kitchen to a multi-site organization with programs across boroughs. 

Me, baking behind the scenes

This September, we launched two new sites: one at historic Greenwich House in Manhattan’s West Village and another at Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn. And next month, our founder, Nigel Thompson, will be honored by Brooklyn Org as an individual who “embodies community-rooted innovation, leadership and dedication.”

Our founder Nigel Thompson, Brooklyn Org Changemaker's Ball honoree

At Kindred, we practice critical and independent thinking. For example, this past summer, I helped run our residency at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. While volunteers like myself and my colleague Devon worked the hot station preparing focaccia and cinnamon rolls, others at the register relayed incoming orders to Nigel Jr or Charlotte so they could be delivered to customers. By July, we were working together like a well-oiled machine. You can read more about my colleagues Charlotte and Makaio’s experiences at the museum on our Instagram page.

Raphael and Devon, hot station champions

Our residency was a great success. And to top it off, I celebrated passing the NYC food protection exam and am now the proud owner of an official food handler’s license. While the test itself wasn’t too strenuous, the online study course certainly was. Walking out of the exam room, digital license in tow, I felt proud of my accomplishment.

Our cafe at the Brooklyn Children's Museum in action

My experiences at Kindred Bakery have been great so far, and I look forward to working with them as they hold more community events and pop-up locations.

Support Kindred Bakery BK

Raphael’s story is an example of the growth, skills, and community our participants build every day. As we celebrate our third anniversary and continue to expand across NYC, your support makes this work possible.

Donate today to help us open more doors, train more young people, and keep our inclusive kitchen thriving.

Donate