The Port City Bakery Program

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

The West Baton Rouge Parish government partnered with a local non-profit organization and restaurant entrepreneur to establish a new enterprise for adults with special needs. Headquartered in Port Allen, Louisiana, the parish council overwhelmingly approved $70,000 in funding and in kind labor to construct a bread bakery which serves as a new and inclusive worksite for teens and adults with all types of disabilities. The Port City Bakery Program began as the vision of a local restaurant owner who has 2 children with autism and was established to provide meaningful employment for teens and adults as they age out of high school. The program is designed to identify specific strengths and interests of those who seek short or long-term employment, and build a business around those job tasks and abilities. With the unyielding support of West Baton Rouge Parish, the bakery project has addressed the need for suitable jobs for the disabilities community and creates a sustainable source of income for the non-profit agency.