Sunflower Bakery (sunflowerbakery.org) prepares young adults with learning differences for employment through the pastry arts and Café Sunflower employment training programs. The pastry program includes 26 weeks of professional instruction, skills training and paid in-house internships (for 18 to 22 students annually). Café Sunflower offers three months of formal instructions to eight young adults and, if successful, the opportunity to continue of for six months of paid employment and training. The cafe also offers eight-week internships to four to six high school student annually.
Headquartered: Gaithersburg
Serves: Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Washington, D.C.
What a donation buys:
• $250 covers tools for one student to practice new skills.
• $1,000 buys instructional ingredients/supplies for one student.
• $10,000 underwrites the program fee for two low-income students.
Volunteer opportunities:
• One day: Introduce Sunflower at career/high school fairs for students seeking workforce training; or enlist an organization in Sunflower’s Sweets of the Month dessert subscription program.
• Weekly: Assist employees at Café Sunflower.
• Internships