Every morning the coffee machine clicks on and the daily routine begins. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are poured into designated styrofoam cups and delivered to eagerly waiting teachers. Who are the students behind this daily operation?

Kehne’s Beans is delivered exclusively by the Learning for Life students.

The students in the program are working towards mastering real life skills, such as getting jobs and living independently. This is part of the reason Kehne’s Beans was created. All of the profits raised go to funding educational field trips for the students.

“We don’t have a lot of money to take field trips, and this is a way for us to earn money to go. We have some money for buses, but the money we earn pays for the students to buy a lunch or snack,” said Henry.

Henry emails the staff each week asking if they would like to purchase something from Kehne’s Beans. Teachers then prepay for their drinks to be delivered during the week: Coffee at $1.50, Tea/Hot Chocolate at $1.00.

“It’s the highlight of my day when I get my tea,” said Ms. Paula Larson, Student Services Chairman, “It’s my extra boost of caffeine.”

Making a great start to every morning, it’s not just the coffee–or tea for Larson–bringing smiles to the staff, it’s the students.

“I love the students. They have their own little personalities, and they’re just fun to work with. You never know what is going to come in from day to day. It’s always fun,” said Henry.

Henry believes the Kehne’s Beans coffee cart helps the students develop valuable life skills outside of what they learn in the Learning for Life program. The coffee cart helps students learn to be responsible, to handle money, and to work on their social skills.

“They [the students] learn proper handling of the food. The students are wearing gloves when they come in so they are learning skills that they are going to have to use for any job they will have in the future. But, for the most part, I like having that one-on-one time with the students,” said Larson.

Mr. Thomas Hawthorne, Mrs. Mary Jo York, and Mrs. Maureen Howard, Speech/Language Pathologist, are also regular customers for Kehne’s Beans.

“I love it when they come to the door with my hot tea and they say ‘good morning.’ It just makes my day. They always have a smile on their faces and extra cold mornings, it’s nice to have a little more warmth,” said Howard.

The students in the Learning for Life program are also taught by Howard, so Kehne’s Beans is close to her heart. She mentions a potential “cafe” soon.

In the future, Henry hopes to expand the program, gain more customers, and extend the service to students.

Larson is hopeful for danishes in the future.