About Us
The “Smedfords” blended their name when their family came together first through marriage and later, through the adoption of 7 children with Down Syndrome. As the children with Down syndrome started becoming teenagers, the family realized that there was a huge need for employment opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities. They decided that if the jobs their family members needed didn’t exist, they’d create them.
Coolbus Treats is a combination of the children’s dream to own a food truck and their family's desire to show the community that people with intellectual disabilities have a place in the workforce too. Their dream is for the business to grow, so that they can provide employment for many young adults with intellectual disabilities. They will be partnering with the special education transition programs within the local schools to provide vocational training to other teenagers and young adults with intellectual disabilities in the community. Through their business model, trainees will learn valuable job skills that can be used to increase their independence, build their resume, and obtain gainful employment in the community. Their overall goal is to normalize the presence of people with intellectual disabilities in the work force in their community. Check our our blog for the "behind the scenes" of how we're using ice cream to accomplish this mission!