For Shelly Henley, the honor her business received from About Special Kids is truly meaningful.
Carmel-based No Label at The Table, which employs people with autism at its Carmel bakery, received the About Special Kids Founders Award Nov. 1 at the Woodstock Club in Indianapolis.
“ASK runs a hotline, and if you are the parent of a special needs child and you don’t know what to do, you call that hotline and they will put you in touch with resources,” Henley said. “It was an organization created by parents, so to be honored by them is especially sweet because I’m a parent just trying to figure things out. And here’s a group of parents who put together this organization to figure things out. It was incredibly kind and I wasn’t looking to get any kind of acknowledgement, but it’s proof that what we are doing is making a positive impact in this community and everywhere just bringing awareness.”
No Label at The Table started selling baked goods at the Carmel Farmers Market two years ago. It opened its store on 1111 Main St. in the Arts & Design District in mid-March.
The store started with three employees and now has 15 employees with autism, including Henley’s son, Jacob Wittman, 22. Henley and her son are Carmel residents. The idea for No Label at the Table developed because Wittman wanted to be a chef. He learned by preparing gluten-free and dairy-free items.
The store is open Tuesday through Sunday each week.
“I’m the only volunteer,” Henley said. “Everyone here earns a wage. It’s a scalable, social enterprise. It’s not a nonprofit. It’s a business that they run and they lead.”
Henley said the community has been very supportive
“They feel like they are doing a good thing coming in, and our food is very good, too,” Henley said.
