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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Established to empower people with special needs, |
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Hugs Café in McKinney is rendering a significant service to its |
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community; and |
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WHEREAS, The café's founder, Ruth Thompson, moved to McKinney |
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in 2004 and soon began to teach cooking to adults with special |
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needs; holding classes twice a week for 10 years, she helped these |
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individuals develop new skills and become more independent; and |
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WHEREAS, Inspired by the success of her classes, Ms. Thompson |
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decided to open a restaurant that would provide employment for |
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people like her students; with the support of many in the community, |
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she embarked on a successful fund-raising campaign, and the |
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nonprofit Hugs Café welcomed its first customers in 2015; and |
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WHEREAS, The café serves lunch Tuesday through Sunday and |
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features an inviting menu of sandwiches, salads, soups, and |
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desserts; more than 70 percent of the café's teammates are people |
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with intellectual or developmental disabilities, many of whom work |
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part-time and all of whom earn at least minimum wage; Ms. Thompson |
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herself puts in up to 60 hours at the café every week to help ensure |
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its success; and |
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WHEREAS, Hugs Café is offering its employees a chance to |
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build the confidence and self-respect that will help them to live |
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meaningful, rewarding lives, and equally important, the business is |
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encouraging public appreciation for the capabilities and dignity of |
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adults with special needs; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Hugs Café for valuing the strengths of |
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individuals with special needs and extend to Ms. Thompson and her |
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staff sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Hugs Café as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |