LOCAL barista Chris Morris will soon be living his dream of running his own mobile business, with fundraising efforts under way for him to receive his own coffee caravan.
Mr Morris, who has an intellectual impairment, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and anxiety, has been an employee of Blue Tongue Pantry since he graduated from school last year.
Each week, he works for one day in the cafe and one classroom-based day learning about things such as health and safety and customer service.
Blue Tongue Pantry will be donating 50 cents from each coffee sold to purchase a coffee caravan so 18-year-old Mr Morris has a business in the future.
Through School Leaver Employment Supports during his employment at Blue Tongue Pantry, Mr Morris has received job training in areas like money handling, time management and communication that will set him up to run his own business.
Cafe owner Alex Shaw said rather than just thinking of current employment, the cafe was looking to create future opportunities for Mr Morris.
She said the type of coffee caravan had already been sourced and would cost about $17,600.
"We've known Chris for quite some time so this is super exciting for our team," Mrs Shaw said.
"However, the most important goal is that he can turn his SLES training into meaningful employment."
A graph will be displayed at the cafe showing how much is being raised every week towards Mr Morris' coffee caravan.
A spokesperson for disability service provider Tea-Cup Cottage said Mr Morris was responsible for a number of different jobs around the cafe and loved his job as a barista.
"These duties include cleaning the coffee machine and cafe benches as well as actually serving the coffees," he said.
"He loves the camaraderie and laughs he gets to endure when he's in the company of the cafe staff and our other clients who use the space."
Mr Morris is one of several employees at Blue Tongue Pantry living with a disability, and is creating his own employment pathways through his training at the cafe.
Run by Tea-Cup Cottage, the cafe shares a space with Blue Tongue Adventure, a program for young adults with disabilities.
They deliver a wide range of activities from community access to social interaction, with the goal of making sure participants can live the most independent life possible.
Mrs Shaw said it was important to break down barriers that made it difficult for people living with a disability, such as Mr Morris, to lead an everyday life.
