Baking bread. Together as one.
The idea for Rising Above Bakery arose when Shiri Reuveni-Ullrich, a speech therapist and an avid baker, noticed the dramatic effect that baking cookies had on her nonverbal, autistic young adult students. The kitchen filled with chatter, singing, laughter, and verbalizing as students became more comfortable with the work. At that moment, she knew that a bakery must be created to help individuals with disabilities find their voice and live meaningful, independent lives.
Today, our cottage bakery in Chestnut Ridge, NY, employs 7 trainee bakers and serves customers throughout Rockland County, NY, and northern Bergen County, NJ.
The mission of Rising Above Bakery is to help develop independent, empowered bakers who possess the skills and self-confidence needed to live independent, fulfilling lives: Getting up each morning motivated to start the day and go to work, meeting people and taking part in social interactions in an inclusive environment. We aspire to achieve this while building a self-sustaining business that is a valued member of its local community.
