The Milton Area High School’s Life Skills and Autistic Support classroom runs a coffee cart that sells coffee and seasonal treats to faculty and staff.
“The money helps cover the Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas/Mother’s Day crafts and with the cost of field trips,” according to Teacher Ms. Malika Romine
Ms. Romine said they use the coffee cart quarterly (one time per marking period); however they would love to offer the service weekly.
Typically, a regular cup of coffee is around $2, she said, adding that the cost of ingredients influences the price.
“This year, we have been making lattes with an expresso machine. These coffees were a little more expensive due to the expresso and milk used to make it,” she explained.
According to Ms. Romine, the class’s apple butter sales have also been popular. The staff would buy multiple jars of it and always looked forward to it every fall, she added.
On the day of the coffee cart, the students are responsible for going out and collecting the money from the teachers, she said. Teachers are asked not to give exact change, so the students can practice a functional life skill of calculating change.
“I am so grateful for the teachers who have become our (regulars) and continue to support our students,” Ms. Romine said, adding that they have around 10-15 orders for every marking period.
CTE Aide Ms. Jennifer Mabus, a regular customer of the coffee cart, said that she feels the coffee cart is beneficial for the school because it offers the involved students an opportunity to see and meet some of the teachers that they might not come into contact with on a daily basis.
“I love to support the coffee cart. It makes me smile when I get my treats delivered,” added Ms. Mabus.
According to Ms. Romine, all the students get to learn and grow through this coffee cart fundraiser. They get help in some capacity by making recipes, delivering food/drinks or helping clean up, she added.
“Our students gain knowledge on planning a menu for our coffee cart, reading/making recipes, managing money, and so much more,” Ms. Romine added.
One challenge they face is days when the coffee cart runs, she said, but the students have learned to be a lot of help preparing and making it feel less hectic.
“I would love the coffee cart to be a more consistent opportunity for our students. It’d be great if we could do it on a weekly basis to start and then eventually do it daily,” she said.
Junior Nathanial Weller, a student that helps run the coffee cart, said his favorite part of running the coffee cart is having fun. “You can build relationships with others,” he said.
