Read more - Em`s Coffee Co.

NEWS
www.bulletinjournal.com Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010
17
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Flowers On Main
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319-283-7550
December 1st - 4th
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INDEPENDENCE BULLETIN JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
Emilea Hillman gets some last practice in before customers began arriving at Em & Jerri’s Coffee Company one
year ago while Jerri Reisner, her job coach, looks on. After a successful first year, Em & Jerri's is celebrating its
first anniversary. The business, located in the former offices of the Independence Bulletin Journal & Conservative,
offers a variety of tasty treats and visitors can enjoy memorabilia from the building's history, including a stop
in "The Newsroom," lined with old articles, printing plates and the like from the newspaper's history.
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Em & Jerri's celebrates first anniversary
BY JOHN KLOTZBACH
STAFF WRITER
news@bulletinjournal.
com
INDEPENDENCE
–
Although the grand opening
was in January this year, Em
& Jerri’s Coffee Company
has been serving customers
since December 2009, so
they are celebrating now.
What started out as an
employment alternative for
proprietor Emilea Hillman,
has turned into beacon of
prosperity and opportunity
for hundreds of other mentally challenged individuals
across the nation.
Since opening a year ago,
Emilea has served on the
Governor’s Developmental
Disability Council, appeared
at the Reinventing Quality
conference in Baltimore,
Md., has been videoed for an
upcoming University of
Iowa documentary, recognized in a column by Kyle
Munson of the Des Moines
Register, has initiated a
Facebook page and was
recently awarded the Iowa
Rehabilitation Association
Achievement
Award.
According to Lois Staff, a
counselor with the Iowa
Vocational Rehabilitation
Services (IVRS), Hillman’s
Achievement Award, given
for over 20 years, is the
highlight of an annual ceremony, as it exemplifies the
IVRS mission of working
for and with individuals who
have disabilities to achieve
their employment, independence and economic goals.
“The award winner is
selected based on written
testimonials regarding the
individual’s efforts to overcome vocational barriers
and achieve their employment goals,” said Staff.
“Granted, Emilea receives a
good deal of support from
her family and job coach/
co-worker, Jerri Reisner, but
she utilized her social charm,
commitment, and enthusiasm to successfully operate
her business.”
Hillman, her family and
Reisner remodeled the
space, recovered chairs,
painted walls and installed
wireless Internet access.
Hillman attended Barista
training to learn the language of coffee and practiced with flash cards to
remember the details of various coffee products, recipes
and temperatures.
“Em’s business is pretty
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unique in that there has been
a coordination of services
statewide,” said Staff.
According to Staff,
Hillman developed her selfemployment plan with IVRS
and received funding for her
business through the Iowa
Self Employment (ISE) program. She has also utilized
support and assistance
through
Iowa
Workforce
Development,
Iowa
Work
I n c e n t i v e
Planning
and
Assistance
(WIPA), Northeast
Iowa
Resource
Conservation and
Development Inc.,
State
Employment
Leadership
Network,
Consumer Choice Options,
the Medicaid Infrastructure
Grant, the United States
Department of Agriculture,
and the local Chamber of
Commerce. She has also
served as somewhat of a
pilot case, nationally, for collaboration of Supported
Employment Services and
self-employment services
with the help of Department
of Human Services.
According to Staff, 14.7
percent of business owners
are persons with
disabilities.
“In this community, we currently
have four other
businesses supported through
the Iowa Self
Employment
program,”
she said.
Over the
last two years, ISE helped
117 Iowans achieve success.
“At the core of this suc-
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cess are Em’s effervescent
personality, her community
networking, and her perseverance,” said Staff in her
letter nominating Hillman
for the Achievement Award.
“The result is that Emilea
Hillman has become a successful entrepreneur in this
community.
Since she
employs other persons with
limitations, she is a leader
and an inspiration to others
with disabilities. She also
serves to remind us professionals that we need to focus
on a person’s abilities and
not an individual’s disability.”
Em & Jerri’s is running
specials all week and on
Saturday, Dec 4, will feature
live music from noon to 2
p.m.
• Every $25 spent, receive
$5 in Bonus Bucks
• Every $50 spent, receive
$10 in Bonus Bucks
(Balloons, Flowers, and plants excluded)
For all of your decorating needs:
Garlands, Greens, Wreaths, Nativities, Lots of
Snowmen, Many Unique Gifts & Christmas
Ornaments, Inspirational Gifts, Journals & Books
Many $3.00 - $10.00 gifts
Enjoy Cider & Cookies, and
register for door prizes!
Hope you can join us
~ 40 Years in Business ~
R.W. Miller Construction
& Custom Cabinets
20361 30th Street, Oelwein, IA 50662
Phone: 319.283.3392
Toll Free: 888.887.9064
www.rwmillerconstruction.com
Kitchen & Bath Remodeling
Professional Painting,
Staining & Finishing