West Michigan nonprofit turns dog biscuits into opportunities for adults with disabilities

Every Thursday morning, Jan Stack and her daughter Katie make the drive from Newaygo to Grand Rapids for Katie’s volunteer shift at Beer City Dog Biscuits. 

For Katie, 32, who has Down syndrome, the weekly trip is more than volunteer work. It’s a chance to build relationships and take part in a regular routine. 

Katie learned about this opportunity through friends in her Special Olympics community.

“A lot of her friends were going to Beer City Dog Biscuits and told her about it, so we started to go there,” Stack says.

Beer City Dog Biscuits, a nonprofit based in Grand Rapids, provides work, social interaction, and community for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It was founded in 2018 by Leslie Hooker and Suzanne Wilcox, two mothers of sons with such disabilities, who were searching for work opportunities for their children.

The organization operates out of Sunshine Community Church, 3019 Coit Ave. NE,  where volunteers gather several days a week to produce dog treats using spent grain donated by Founders Brewing Company.

The value of Katie’s experience goes beyond the work itself.

“I needed something for Katie to do, and she loves it,” Stack says.

Participants sit together at tables, working side by side and building relationships.

“Everybody is so kind and nice,” Stack adds. ”She loves that and meeting new friends.”

Katie participates in Special Olympics and therapeutic horseback riding. Now, Beer City Dog Biscuits has become part of her weekly routine.

“Those are her things that she looks forward to every week,” Stack says.

Filling a need

Jennifer Romain, the organization’s executive director, says the nonprofit was created to address a gap many families encounter when individuals with disabilities age out of school-based services.

Hooker and Wilcox “wanted to create something for their sons to provide empowerment and a sense of purpose,” Romain says.

“Our mission is to provide empowerment, employment, and community to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” she says.

Romain joined the organization in 2019 with a background in operations and entrepreneurship, including experience running businesses. Since then, she has helped expand the program’s reach.

“We started with 17 brew bakers. Now we have 300 coming through our doors every week,” Romain says.

Participants take part in every stage of production.

“Our brew bakers are involved in the entire process; picking up the grain, making the dough, filling the molds, packing the bags,” she says.

Each bag includes a photo of the person who helped make the treats, connecting customers to the individuals behind the product.

The program is structured to accommodate a wide range of needs and goals.

“Some of them are here for the social aspect. Some are here for vocational training, and some are here to learn skills they can take elsewhere,” Romain says. “Everybody’s here for a different reason, and we’re just here to meet them where they’re at.

“For some of our brew bakers, this might be the only time they get to leave their group home during the week.”

On shelves throughout the region

The nonprofit has expanded into retail, creating a revenue stream that supports its operations.

Beer City Dog Biscuits are sold in a range of locations across West Michigan, from small local shops to larger regional retailers. The treats can be found at independent stores and boutique retailers throughout the Grand Rapids area. 

They are also available at multiple Pet Supplies Plus locations and in Meijer stores across several states, allowing the operation to expand its reach beyond local shelves while maintaining its community-based mission.

In Fremont, CBD Store of Michigan owner Rod Glupker says he sought out locally made items to set his store apart.

“I love their story,” he says.

Sales have been strong.

“I do sell more of the Beer City Dog Biscuits than I do anything else,” Glupker says. “I try to support local as much as possible. It’s a win, win, win,” he says.

Relying on volunteers

Beer City Dog Biscuits offers a response to a broader challenge of limited employment and social opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities after they leave school systems.

“We are a social enterprise, but it is not enough to fund our entire operation,” Romain says.

“We don’t take any state or federal funding. We rely on purchases, donations, and people donating their time,” she says.

Romain says the reliance on volunteers is also tied to how disability benefits are structured. Many participants depend on Social Security income or other support, and earning wages beyond certain limits can reduce or eliminate those benefits.

As a result, only a small number of participants are paid staff, while most take part as volunteers.

Romain, who came to the organization with a background in business and operations rather than disability services, says the work has reshaped her understanding of what people need.

“I now have 300 friends that I never knew I needed,” she says.

Photos by Tommy Allen

The multi-regional Disability Inclusion series is made possible through a partnership with Centers for Independent Living organizations across West Michigan.