Joy at the Kindness Cafe | Kaya Lynch ‘25

Going into this year of being a Perkins Fellow, I was unsure about what that would look like for me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to attend CCDA in person, and there was a time conflict with my volunteering for Abundant Life. During Perkins Plunge, I met Katie Kishore, and learned about Kindness Cafe. Her story and vision for a place of employment for adults with disabilities struck a chord within me, and that has been where I have chosen to volunteer.

Over the summer, I was able to work with kids with disabilities, but I had never truly interacted with adults who had disabilities before. Frankly, I was a little nervous. What if I wasn’t able to understand them? How much of a role was I to take on in this space? After volunteering there for a couple of weeks, I realized that the main problem with the questions I was asking was that they were focused on myself, and my own capabilities. Yet, the people I worked with were perfectly capable of simple and complex tasks, and found a joy in it that the Bible demands. Suddenly, I was confronted with my own ego and my own unwilling attitude towards work. In Genesis, the Lord rests and finds satisfaction in the work He has done, and gifts Adam and Eve with the blessing of stewarding the garden of Eden for themselves. 

Ecclesiastes 2:24 says that “There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.” Kindness has reminded me that we are called to work, and to find joy in our work. The employees at Kindness are so willing and joyful to show up to work each day, and every order is a chance to do their best. I have been convicted of my own failure to view work as the blessing that it is, and how I can honor God in the minute tasks of work.

Throughout my time volunteering at Kindness, I have learned to work alongside, not over, the employees. I have learned when to step in, and when to step back. In the midst of this, we have had some wonderful conversations! The beauty of God’s kingdom is that we all work together, teach each other, and share in the ups and downs of life together. Before Kindness, I had not had friendships with adults with disabilities. Now, I can safely say that the richness and fullness of relationship with these brothers and sisters in Christ has transformed my view of the Kingdom, and my own career path. I would encourage everyone to take a step back and walk alongside people who you are not used to. It is only then that I believe that  we will understand what it means to love as Jesus did.