Opportunity, One Cup at a Time: We Make Receives a $25,000 Grant from Bank of America
Bank of America presented a $25,000 grant to We Make: Autism at Work
Mercer County, NJ - A cup of coffee can open a conversation. At Bank of America’s new East Windsor Financial Center, it also helped tell a story about talent, belonging, and the power of meaningful employment.
During the center’s grand opening on Friday, October 30, 2026, Bank of America presented a $25,000 grant to We Make: Autism at Work, a local nonprofit that creates opportunities for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities through employment, learning, and community engagement.
For me, as someone whose career has centered on creativity, nonprofit leadership, and expanding access to opportunity, this partnership illustrates how community investment can become something tangible: a place to learn, a chance to contribute, and support for building a working life.
A Celebration with Purpose
The celebration at 417 Route 130 North featured coffee, artisan coffee drinks, and breakfast bites served by the We Make Coffee team. An extension of the organization’s Inclusionary Learning Café curriculum, the program brings teaching and learning into community settings, allowing participants to practice their skills while connecting with customers.
That visibility matters. A community event gives people an opportunity to experience participants’ abilities firsthand and recognize the contributions they bring to a workplace.
We Make’s approach starts with designing work environments around the needs and abilities of adults with autism, supported by personalized training and developmental assistance. Its goal is to help people build careers and a lasting sense of pride and purpose.
The coffee service brought that philosophy into the heart of the grand opening.
An Investment in Lasting Pathways
Bank of America’s $25,000 grant will support We Make’s programs. The bank describes the Inclusionary Learning Café as part of a broader partnership providing wraparound services that strengthen job readiness, placement stability, and long-term retention for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Those connections are essential. Learning a skill is one step; having the support to apply it, grow, and remain successful at work helps turn preparation into lasting opportunity.
“Work matters, but it's never just about the job, it's about confidence, community, and the people who believe in you,” said Moe Siddiqu, Founding Executive Director of We Make: Autism at Work. “The Inclusionary Learning Café lets our team show what they can do, one cup at a time. We're grateful to Bank of America for investing in that vision and helping us build pathways that last.”
Held on the final Friday of October, the celebration also recognized National Disability Employment Awareness Month, giving the occasion an added connection to We Make’s mission.
The Meaning Behind the Work
The value of these opportunities comes through most clearly in the words of participants.
“It's been a pleasure working at We Make,” said Tina Provost, reflecting on her experience following a recent We Make Coffee event. “It's where I find community, friendship, purpose and work. It's a place that can be good to so many other people, and we'd welcome them.”
Community. Friendship. Purpose. Work. Together, those words describe the everyday experiences that make employment meaningful.
As a nonprofit consultant, I see the importance of partnerships that connect financial support with opportunities for people to participate and contribute. At this grand opening, We Make’s team had a visible role in welcoming the community, while Bank of America’s grant provided support for the programs behind that work.
The new financial center marks a new chapter for banking in East Windsor. For We Make, the celebration also marked an investment in people—and in the possibilities that emerge when their talents have room to grow.
To learn more about We Make: Autism at Work and its programs, visit wemake.works.
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