EVENTS & NEWS
Holly Robinson Peete
Advocate and Friend
Bestselling author, actress and national autism spokesperson Holly Robinson Peete was in Oak Park, Illinois, April 26, signing her children's book My Brother Charlie. Holly paired with her daughter, Ryan, to co-author this uplifting book based on their own personal experiences with Holly’s son and Ryan’s brother, RJ, who has autism.
“It was so neat to meet Holly last night and learn more about her family’s story,” says Jim Kales, Aspire President and CEO. “I was just amazed how she greeted each person, family, or child in line personally and got to know them. There had to be about 150 people in line.”
In the new children’s book, Callie is very proud of her brother Charlie. He’s good at so many things--swimming, playing the piano, running fast. And Charlie has a special way with animals, especially their dog, Harriett. But sometimes Charlie gets very quiet. His words get locked inside him, and he seems far away. Then, when Callie and Charlie start to play, Charlie is back to laughing, holding hands, having fun. Charlie is like any other boy--and he has autism. In this story, told from a sister point of view, we meet a family whose oldest son teaches them important lessons about togetherness, hope, tolerance, and love.
“Holly spoke very compellingly about her desire for her son to grow up, live and work in the community; that is what Aspire CoffeeWorks is all about,” says Jim. “Holly and I chatted about how Aspire CoffeeWorks helps build a future for the ‘next generation.’"
Jim shared how our team of people with disabilities at Aspire CoffeeWorks work side by side with the professional roasting team at Metropolis Coffee in Chicago. Aspire CoffeeWorks is one example of how employers can bring people with disabilities more fully into the workforce.
Jim and Holly’s friend Candi Carter, Aspire Board member, gave Holly a bag of Aspire Roast to try. “It smells so good!” Holly said.
