On Wednesday, February 12th, we partnered with Relationspot to host a drop in social at Cafe Joyeux in NYC. Relationspot is an organization that provides neurotypical adults with fun activities to foster friendships and connection with others. Approximately 35 Relationspot members were in attendance. Cafe Joyeux served the most delicious food and drinks. We even had a band, Especially Everyone, play and entertain the crowd. Especially Everyone provides unique interactive musical experiences to individuals with all abilities. Especially Everyone’s three person band played pop songs that got the everyone up singing and dancing. 

The cafe had tables which we decorated with all different kinds of hearts in honor of Valentine’s Day. Everyone who came received red beaded necklaces, small star stickers and our now famous Different & Able hats. These added touches made the social feel festive, warm and fun. Cafe Joyeux provided a wonderful spread of sandwiches, salads and dessert, including yummy brownies. Everyone danced, mingled and ate all night.

One of the things that made this social event so special was because it was held at Cafe Joyeux. Cafe Joyeux’s mission is to employ individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The cafe was originally founded in 2017 with its first location in France. Since then, there are 24 cafes throughout Europe with this NYC location opening in 2024. This is the first Cafe Joyeux opened in the United States. We hope if you are in NYC, you will stop by and check it out.

We would like to thank our friends at Relationspot, Cafe Joyeux, Especially Everyone, and our community and team at Different & Able. A special thanks to our photographer, Jono Crefeld who took fabulous photos. Please check them out on our website and social media.