About us

The Partnership

The Café at Greenwich Library is a unique partnership between
Greenwich Library and Abilis to write the next chapter in café service.

Companies that Hire Special Needs Adults

The Café at Greenwich Library is run by Abilis as a competitive employment program and provides those with special needs meaningful employment, an opportunity to learn important job skills and to be gainfully employed.

As a nonprofit, Abilis supports more than 700 individuals with special needs and their families from birth throughout their lives.

Greenwich Library serves as the community's cultural and intellectual crossroads and is excited to offer The Café at Greenwich Library, which has been newly remodeled as part of the Reimagine, Renew and Repurpose renovation project.

Meet Our Team

Here are some of the friendly faces that you'll see at The Café!

Joe Champagne

Café & Concession Manager

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DIEGO

Diego's favorite item from The Café is a large Iced Tea. Diego speaks Spanish and he is very good about remembering dates and everyone’s birthday. He is very knowledgeable about animals and countries. Diego’s favorite things to do outside of work are to hang out with his family, his aunts and grandparents, and go to the movies, as well as visit his brother in New York City. Diego also likes to stay fit and he swims, runs and hikes. You will often see Diego running in the 5K at the annual Walk/Run for Abilis with his family.

Jen

Jen’s crafting talents are put to good use when she volunteers at Abilis Gardens & Gifts, where she helps makes jewelry and crafts. She also enjoys hanging out with friends and watching TV. She has a Beta Fish named Jake. At The Café, Jen has many favorites, including the Turkey & Brie Sandwich, the Chicken Caesar Wrap, the Spinach Quiche and the Caesar salad.

Tara

Tara is very active and enjoys many of the social activities with Abilis and out in the community, such as at Barbara’s House (CCI), sports with friends at Greenwich Country Day School, fitness class with HomeField Fit, walks at the park, karaoke and traveling, hanging out with friends and going to plays, concerts and the beach. Tara also performs on stage with the Off-Beat Players and enjoys the musicals they perform each summer. In addition to her work at The Café, Tara helps take care of some friends’ dogs on a regular basis. She is a big fan of the Manhattanville College Women’s Basketball team and was awarded a framed jersey at a game in 2019 for being their #1 fan. At The Café, Tara enjoys a cup of tea.

Our Partners

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Shearwater Coffee Roasters

Shearwater Coffee Roasters makes small-batch organic coffee with a richer taste and supports Fair Trade USA and sustainable farming.

At Shearwater, the integrity of its small batch organic coffee roasting process is built into its core values. The result is 100% USDA Certified Organic roasted and certified Kosher. Shearwater begins the roasting process of its artisanal brews with organic coffee beans imported from small coffee farms from Mexico, Central and South America, East Africa and Indonesia.

The farmer-owners who provide the coffee beans are committed to sustainable farming and ensure the roasting, serving and delivery processes minimizes the impact to the environment. Shearwater uses a highly energy efficient Diedrich IR-12 infra-read roaster designed to operate on less electricity than conventional roasters. In Fairfield County, Connecticut, Shearwater Coffee Roasters even delivers its fresh-roasted organic coffee to wholesale customers in a fully electric zero-emission vehicle.

Shearwater’s vision started with its founder Ed Freedman’s passion for organic coffee, his attention to detail and commitment to sustainability. When Shearwater opened its family-owned business in 2013, it was the only small batch organic coffee roaster in the area.

Shearwater Coffee is served at numerous restaurants and at Whole Foods Market in Fairfield County.