Empowering Peabody coffee shop closes due to fire

PEABODY, Mass — At Breaking Grounds, it’s a place to get coffee and support a great cause. That’s because the people serving your morning cup of joe are people with disabilities training to get jobs in the community.

“They are proudful of being able to be involved in a training program such as this. Hands-on training with real-life customers developing skills,” says Tim Brown, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Northeast Arc.

Brown works for Northeast Arc, the organization responsible for employing the workers. On Wednesday, the employees and the business faced a setback when the building above them caught fire.

“Us being on the first floor got the brunt of all the water,” says Brown.

The sprinkler system caused water damage to the ceiling, floor, and possibly the equipment. And with no current power, Breaking Grounds will be temporarily shut down.

“We’ve had a new group of trainees in just started mastering some skills and if they are not in here for 4 to 6 weeks it is going to be back to learning back to ground zero for them. Emotionally it is going to be hard. They are losing an opportunity during this time period,” says Brown.

Employees will still get compensated during the closure of the coffee shop.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

If you would like to donate to Breaking Grounds, here is a link to donate: https://ne-arc.org/

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