Here’s a scrumptious story for you. In Keyport, New Jersey, a new vegan bakery has popped up — and it is helping more than just animals. According to Atlanticville — and to my vegan mom who lives in the Garden State and found this sweet article — Papa Ganache is a new vegan bakery run by social worker Lisa Siroti, which, in addition to providing lip-smacking cruelty-free goods, also caters to “at-risk youth and their families, to help them be more connected to the community and deal with their behavioral concerns,” according to Siroti (by way of Atlanticville). The kids in the program, which is part of the nonprofit Monmouth Cares, have the opportunity to work in the kitchen, at the same time joining a community of professionals and peers that nurtures their individual growth. The magic all takes place at Papa Ganache, and when the kids (many of whom have developmental disabilities) complete the program, they have an opportunity to work part-time at the bakery.
This kind of blending of issues — having ‘at-risk’ kids develop their social skills and work on anger-management — is truly delicious (and highly effective), particularly when it’s all taking place around vegan cupcakes. In fact, doesn’t this innovative kind of hands-on social work that centers around being kind to yourself and others make the most sense because of its extension of kindness to all others — in other words, the animals? I mean, can you imagine teaching kids all about self-respect while they were serving eggs and dairy, products of the ultimate exploitations of farmed animals? No. That is why Lisa Siroti is brilliant. She is changing the world for children and their families, using veganism as the vehicle.
Photo at top of blog: The Post Punk Kitchen