Boundless' Confection Connection opens in Brunswick

BRUNSWICK — Boundless' Confection Connection, a wholesale bakery that employs people with disabilities, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a dessert taste test on Wednesday. Boundless President and CEO Patrick Maynard said the statewide organization serves people with disabilities in a variety of ways by providing residential programs, counseling services, health care and more. The Confection Connection is the organization's first venture in running a bakery and is intended to help people with disabilities gain job skills and independence. The bakery functions by making and providing food for organizations it has contracts with, such as Brunswick Schools, he said. The employees will learn how to cook, put together ingredients, label items and ship out orders. "They are a drastically underemployed population," Maynard said. "People could think they're underemployed because they have disabilities. That's not really true. People with disabilities are at all levels and abilities, and I find that people with disabilities and complex needs are typically great employees because they are so excited to have an opportunity to prove themselves in an employment setting." Jake Crawford is one of the Confection Connection bakers. He said his experience working there has been great so far, and he helped to make the treats for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. His favorite dessert he made so far is chocolate chip cookies. "I want to say, thank you guys for helping me so much," he said. "I'm so excited to be working here. I have a lot of friends here, and I want to say we are officially open for business." The goal is to create a sustainable business model in which the business at least breaks even between the cost and revenue generated within the first couple of years, Maynard said. If the Brunswick location is successful, Boundless would like to replicate the business in locations across the state. "I just really want to thank the community," he said. "From the beginning, they've really welcomed us with open arms and really encouraged and even insisted that we come in and run this operation. We've just found people to be so accommodating and friendly here, and we just love being a part of this community." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.