Parent-led project aims to prepare special needs adults for employment in the bakery sector. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PRURGENT
Singapore, (March 14, 2019) – While resources for assisting children with special needs have been growing in Singapore over the past few years, similar avenues of assistance remain limited for young adults (18 years old and above) who have aged out of these schemes and are facing bleak work opportunities due to lack of employable skills.
A group of parents have come together to form Works of Hope and launch its first project initiative Crunchy Teeth to address this impending issue, which is at the core of many parents’ hearts.
“Although youths with special needs face difficulties in acquiring formal qualifications, we believe that this should not prevent them from finding meaningful employment,” said Coyuco Mildred, one of the parents involved in the initiative. “Instead, we should work towards building an inclusive society where everyone matters, and the first step to achieving that is to find a way that these adults can contribute to society.”
To address the gap in resources available for special needs young adults, Crunchy Teeth conducts intensive training programs that are designed to teach them relevant job skills required for employment in the bakery sector.
“We chose the field of confectionery in particular, because it is especially suited for adults with special needs,” said Tan Yen Peng, another parent involved in the initiative. “Baking is a science that requires precision and adherence to strict instructions in order to execute successfully. This is something that our special needs adults, especially those on the autism spectrum, can be quite good at. As such, we believe it plays to their strengths and can empower them to be self-sufficient.”
Apart from conducting training programs, Crunchy Teeth also retails confectionaries such as cookies and muffins in a variety of flavors. These baked goods are made by the special needs adults who are undergoing training at Crunchy Teeth. All sales proceeds go towards both funding its training programs for special needs adults and its social campaigns for creating public awareness on inclusive employment.
About Works of Hope
Works of Hope was started in January 2019 by a group of mothers who have children with special needs. Through its efforts, Works of Hope hopes to gradually break the barriers to meaningful employment for special needs adults, and to open up possibilities to an inclusive society where everyone matters and is valued for their own individual capabilities.
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Media Contact:
Works of Hope Pte Ltd
156 Macpherson Road
#01-01
PSL Industrial Building
Singapore 348528
Tel: (65) 9648 0067 | 
