We are a proud member of Sunshine Communities, helping people with developmental disabilities live their lives independently. Our coffee warms our bellies and our hearts. We have delicious baked goods and savory sandwiches. Ever wonder how Georgette’s got its name?

It all started in 1950 when Georgette and Roy Engler founded Sunshine Children’s Home in Maumee, Ohio. Georgette and Roy raised five children with developmental disabilities in a time when it was easier and normalized to send their disabled children away. When they founded Sunshine Children’s Home, they wanted to help other families care for their disabled children, as well as provide tender loving care for disabled children in a clean and safe home-like setting.

What began as one home in Upper Maumee has transformed into a branching community all across Northwestern Ohio. There are now twenty-one homes across three counties. The original home still hosts about fifty residents, with access to a publicly accessible therapeutic pool, small gym with adaptive equipment, and a barn for therapeutic riding and a greenhouse where crews raise produce for the community. Sunshine Communities supports more than 400 men, women, and children with disabilities.

Sunshine Children’s Home expanded to the community that it is today, and along the way, they worked to support people with developmental disabilities who had the desire to have a job and earn their own living. One of the ways that Sunshine does that is through Georgette’s, the cafe in Maumee helps people with disabilities live their way--with employment. Georgette’s has a full menu, with sixteen roasts of coffee, baked goods, and sandwiches. The gift shop next door sells unique, hand-made, fair-trade gifts that go back into supporting the residents of Sunshine Communities.

And what about Georgette and Roy’s home? The original Sunshine Children’s Home? It is now the coffee packaging plant for Georgette’s coffee! At the packaging plant, people with disabilities measure and package the blends for more than a dozen of Georgette’s specialty roasts. Georgette’s coffee uses 100% shade grown Arabica beans from Africa, Asia, Central and South America. Our goal is to provide opportunities and meaningful income for people with disabilities locally as well as farmers and artisans around the world.

If you’re curious about Georgette’s coffee, desserts, or sandwiches, come visit us and enjoy our rich history--with a cup of joe. For more details, visit: www.georgettes.org