A Snack that Gives Back
Posted by estiator at 9 February, at 11 : 21 AM Print
Luv Michael helps people on the autism spectrum to pursue culinary dreams.
FEATURE BY MARIA BENARDIS
For people on the autism spectrum, finding a job is often a challenge. Luv Michael, a nonprofit company inspired by a young Greek American boy, is doing its best to change that, producing a delicious granola snack while giving meaning and gainful employment to young adults inflicted with the condition.
Luv Michael was a dream that derived from two things: food and love. When Dr. Lisa Liberatore’s son, Michael Kessaris, was diagnosed with autism at age two, she and her husband, Dr. Dimitris Kessaris, feared he wouldn’t be able to have a career that personally and professionally fulfilled him. Luv Michael became the solution to helping not only him but others with autism.
The organization is based in New York at the Tribeca Kitchen & Learning Center. Within its walls, adults on the autism spectrum are employed making organic, gluten-free, and nut-free granola “bark” sold to convenience stores and supermarkets. Its mission is “to provide meaningful vocational training for the autistic population and to produce exceptional gluten-free and natural products.”
At Luv Michael, proceeds from every bag of granola sold go to help educate, train, and employ individuals with autism. The products are made without chemical additives and are safe from most common allergens. Granola is handmade in small batches by their teams of “granologists.” Luv Michael empowers those granologists with living wages and independent life skills while delivering a product that tastes good and does good.
Employment for those on the autistic spectrum is lowest among those with disabilities, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which reports that 82.4 percent of adults with autism spectrum disorder are unemployed. As such, young people on the autism spectrum can find it incredibly difficult to secure gainful employment.
“Many people think that people with disabilities can’t work or don’t care about working, and that is very untrue,” says Lisa. “Our granologists care about getting a paycheck and their job. They are productive and bring joy to those around them. Many people with disabilities have talent and just need a chance,” she says.
Adhering to the belief that autism is not what defines a person, Lisa set out to create an organization that would prove every individual’s value and ability to contribute to society and to the economy. “Each and every one is uniquely gifted and entitled to being honored and respected,” she maintains. “Luv Michael assumes that each of our employees deserves an opportunity to work within every division of Luv Michael’s business, and only after being exposed to and taught the skill position should the employee choose for themselves whether they want to do that job or pursue the position further. The challenge with autism can be with expressive language and with sensitivities to sensory stimuli as well as understanding certain social cues. The advantages we see in our autistic employees is a zeal for work, and intense focus and attention to detail. Contrary to most beliefs, the autistic person does love socialization and craves friendships and love just like everyone else.”
This is immediately evident in Michael, whom I met at a recent event to launch a book written by Lisa about the organization. At our first encounter, he greeted me with three kisses and a firm, warm hug before taking my notepad from my hands and drawing hearts and illustrations on it.
“Michael is always smiling and hugging and loves to be read to,” says his mother. “He loves exercising and was a champion rower for many years. He loves to cook and loves to eat great food.” It was his passion for cooking that led to the creation of Luv Michael.
But why granola? Lisa chose granola because it was a healthy pre- and post-workout snack for Michael while he was rowing. “He follows a gluten- and dairy-free diet because he, like other autistic people, seems to be sensitive to gluten and dairy. It also doesn’t require knives in the preparation which make it an excellent product to start with since we wanted others to work with Michael and not having to deal with knives was a plus for safety.”
Granola is a great healthy snack for kids, says Lisa. Luv Michael’s granola is made with organic ingredients. Its flavor profile includes cinnamon and vanilla, and it is packed with dried cranberries, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds, ingredients that are rich in antioxidants and vitamin E and B-complex. Most importantly, it is made with bountiful love.
Granola also has the benefit of being a healthy alternative for those with autism. According to Food for the Brain, a not-forprofit educational charity, studies show that sticking to a dairy-, casein-, and gluten-free diet can provide vast improvement in behavior and autism symptoms.
Michael, who is now 22 years old, lives in a temporary group home in Rocky Point while he awaits permanent placement in Southampton, NY. He will enjoy a life that will include daily interaction with the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Greek Orthodox Christian church in Southampton.
Luv Michael was never designed to be a charity or to simply provide young autistic adults with something to do to keep occupied, says Lisa. Instead, its mission has always been “to provide a meaningful culinary vocation for the autistic population, and to produce an exceptional gluten-free and natural product.” On both counts, the organization is a tremendous success.
A typical day for the 20 granologists employed at Luv Michael begins the night before work. Employees are required to clean and press their uniforms, pack a lunch, and go to bed early. They are split into two groups during their 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. workday: one group starts in the kitchen and the other group sits through lessons in a classroom.
In the kitchen, each person follows the 12-step process to make the granola, which starts with weighing and measuring the ingredients and ends with packaging the product and applying labels.
There’s a lot going on in this place—it’s not just a granola factory. It’s really a social services organization with an amazing physical plant and plans for a retail operation. Workers are paid a fair wage of $15 an hour. “It’s the importance of working, yes, but also the importance of learning social skills,” said Lisa. “How do you show up for work? How do you treat co-workers?” Many will be able to move on to other cooking jobs.
The granologists at Luv Michael are trained on various work and life skills. They are given instructions that entail food handling and food safety, communications, sales, information technology, wellness, and the creative arts.
“There is a strong commitment to creating a culture of respect and a belief that anything can be done with the right approach,” says Lisa. “Teamwork is pivotal in the Luv Michael program. We all motivate each other. We collaborate. We share ideas. If someone is having a hard day, we support them,” she adds. Luv Michael’s original and mocha-flavored granola is sold at more than 60 stores in the greater New York City area, as well as on Long Island, including retailers such as Starbucks, Fresh & Co, D’Agostino Supermarkets, Gristedes, Neighborhood Grocers, and Wild by Nature.
“Once we got into Starbucks, it lent credibility to other companies,” says Lisa, who says that Luv Michael has national aspirations. In 2018, the company received an accolade that will help on this trajectory: Luv Michael was named the winner of a competition for nonprofit food companies sponsored by JetBlue, winning an opportunity to have its product distributed onboard domestic flights.
Lisa and Luv Michael have implemented a community-wide outreach program at the Dormition of the Virgin Mary Church in Southampton to provide support for families with autistic children. Father Alex and Presbytera Xanthi Karloutsos were instrumental is making this happen. The trademark Autism Made Autism Paid (“AMAP”) is utilized to represent the curriculum utilized in their Luv Michael program, and the church kitchen makes AMAP-approved grape leaves, spanakopita, moussaka, and cookies. Others can use this trademark stamp; however, they must commit to the same standards of fair pay and advancement opportunities that exist within the company.
Lisa has written a children’s book titled The Tales at Luv Michael, told from Michael’s perspective. She shares that it appeals to the autistic readers in the company.
“Being able to help so many people and hopefully make life better for Michael and others was priceless,” says Lisa. “We’re very proud, but we feel we have a lot more to do. We hope to create a healthy and delicious snack line of Luv Michael products and to replicate our model across the country.”
