April Is for Acceptance and Awareness: Get Involved! »

Menu
Search
Close this search box.

SARRC and Botanica at the Farm at South Mountain announce new partnership

Beneficial Beans and Botanica 1

Nationally, more than 90 percent of adults with autism (ASD) are unemployed or underemployed, but Beneficial Beans—a social enterprise business of Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC)—is working on changing this statistic by providing employment-training opportunities for adults with ASD. These opportunities are funded through the sale of their products.

To support these efforts, Botanica at the Farm at South Mountain announced today that they will serve as a Beneficial Beans retail location. Botanica, a modern market that sells garden, kitchen, and local art and food products, will feature a variety of Beneficial Beans items, including its signature coffee and planters

“We are thrilled that Botanica at the Farm at South Mountain is now carrying our coffee and garden planters,” said Kate Thoene, SARRC’s social enterprise director. “They have a beautiful store and specialize in locally-crafted items, making it a great place for Beneficial Beans to be showcased and sold.”

“Many of our products are locally sourced, so partnering with a local social enterprise with such a worthwhile mission like Beneficial Beans just made sense,” said Pat Christofolo, owner of Botanica and The Farm at South Mountain. “We hope that by carrying these products at our shop that we are part of the solution for helping adults with ASD gain employment skills and live independently.”

Botanica is located at the Farm at South Mountain (6106 S. 32nd St. in Phoenix) and is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It is one of seven local businesses that carry Beneficial Beans products. Thoene said that she hopes to continue to partner with local retailers to grow awareness of not only Beneficial Beans products but also autism in general. 

For more information on Beneficial Beans, email Kate Thoene at [email protected]

All stories, testimonials, and photography shared on SARRC’s website have informed consent.
Material and experiences may not be reshared or reused without express permission.