When Alvin Green’s son, Aiden, was diagnosed with autism, he and his wife dedicated the bulk of their time to Aiden, ensuring he had the proper therapy, services and activities he needed to thrive. As Aiden got older, Green often thought about what Aiden’s life would look like as he aged out of the educational system at age 22 and became more independent.
That was when his sweet idea Al’s Cookie Mixx was born. Fueled by his love for baking (he was a former caterer and private chef) and commitment to secure a better future for his son, Al’s Cookie Mixx aims to create delicious gourmet cookies while also helping those with special needs find gainful employment.
“The business is a testament for turning passion into purpose,” he says. “We quickly went from wanting to employ just Aiden to his friends and then to the entire special needs adult community.”
Q&A with Alvin Green of Al’s Cookie Mixx
Al’s Cookie Mixx employs adults living with disabilities that have aged out of the education system. Why is that a critical mission?
There’s a saying in the special needs community — what happens when the bus stops coming? Unfortunately, the reality is that the unemployment rate for people with autism is about 85 percent. Everyone wants to have a productive life — something to give them meaning.
At Al’s Cookie Mixx, we purposely don’t do tasks with automation. We make sure every task can be done by someone. We constantly break down each step of the business to find out where there’s a job for someone. Our employees do everything from labeling and sealing cookies to hand packing and baking them.
How are Al’s Cookies different from other cookies?
Our cookies are delicious! Every batch of our gourmet cookies are freshly baked using wholesome, premium ingredients with no preservatives. We offer gourmet flavors like peach cobbler and oatmeal butterscotch chip.
People really love our online customizable option where they can build their own cookie by choosing a cookie base and selecting mix ins. We also did a special lemon blueberry cookie for Autism Awareness Month, which has now become a menu staple. Part of the proceeds from that cookie benefits various Chicago organizations that support individuals living with autism.
What advice would you give to someone who has a child with special needs and, who, like you did, wonders what the future holds for their child?
I would recommend they continue to plan for the next phase of their child’s life as early as possible. Focus on their child’s strengths and play to them.
Also seek out their tribe i.e support group. Many heads are better than one. As a group/village research all available resources in the area to come up with a plan for each child. I found sharing information with families traveling the same path to be very helpful. In the end, just do the best you can and show yourself some mercy and grace.
Read more inspiring stories from local parents:
- How Amy Torf’s Noggin Builders Is Pioneering Hands-On STEM Education
- Fashioning Family and Business with Alice and Wonder’s Ali Reff
- Local Mom Arionne Nettles Pays Homage to Black Chicago
Fast Talk with Alvin Green
Your to-go coffee order:
I don’t drink coffee, but I’ll go for an Iced Sweet Tea.
Your favorite place to eat out with your family?
It’s hard to choose just one but a couple of our favorites are Demera and Horse Thief Hollow.
Your personal saying:
“Every day above ground is a good day.”
Your secret obsession:
Gardening
If you could change anything about your life, what would it be?
Nothing. It may sound cliche, but everything I have has made me who I am today.
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