Organic Granola made by Granologist with Autism
Share
With so many choices of snacks on the market, I tend to look for snacks that are organic and healthy. Luv Michael organic, gluten free granola fits that criteria, tastes good and has a nice crunch to it.
At Luv Michael's each batch is hand mixed and here is where it gets interesting, the company employs individuals with Autism who they call "Granologists" to do the mixing. I love this idea! By empowering "Granologists" with living wages and independent life skills, they are helping a segments of society that is often overlooked in the work force to make their mark and become semi self sufficient.
The person behind the non profit Luv Micheals is Michael Kessaris , who is an 18 year old with autism. He loves cooking and wanted to enroll in culinary school, but without a high school diploma that was not possible. So his parents came to the help and now his organic granola bars are available in all New York Fresh ‡ Co. , Cafe Metro and Wild Nature stores as well as select Starbucks locations.
I love to support organizations who not only create a good product, but also give thought about how to help others in this world. There are many children who have autism and offering them a way to become independent is a great program.
According to the Center for Disease Control, autism is the fastest growing developmental disability. In the United States, 500,000 teens with autism will age into adulthood over the next decade.
With the disability affecting 1 in 68 births and rising, employment for the maturing autistic population has become an increasingly significant challenge for many. The success of Luv Michael is even more compelling, considering that employment for those on the autistic spectrum is lowest among those with disabilities.
90% of adults with autism are underemployed or unemployed.
I received the Luv Micheal organic granola bars complimentary in exchange for my unbiased review about them. The granolas are bite size and have a nice crunch to them. Fruit is in them as well and I like eating them as a snack.