Local Mom Launches Business To Empower Individuals With Special Needs

There is a mother in Battle Creek who has started her own business that not only employs kids with special needs, but is breaking down the walls of misconception, and is showing that those with special needs are just as qualified.

Felicia Jaramillo is a parent of two teen boys, both of whom have special learning needs. A few years ago, she and her family moved to Battle Creek and didn’t know anyone. They were having a very tough time in the public schools, as it can be really ostracizing for families with disabilities/different abilities.

That's when she discovered a group called BC Batters, coached by a special needs teacher.  It's a group where kids can play and be part of a team regardless of their abilities.

After a couple of years, the coach had a lot on her plate and she stepped down. This is when Felicia stepped up, as she couldn’t stand to see the group die, because her kids needed friends, and so do those other kids who come.

She took over the group, and fast-forward a few years, and the guys on the team are now 14,17,18,19,23, 27.

Some of them are thriving, have good jobs, and even their own apartments. However, some of them really struggle to find and keep a job.

They are expected to learn quickly, and at times get bullied, and just have a really hard time. These are people who really want jobs and want to be part of the community, as Felicia explained:

They are my friends! They are fun! And they are capable of doing a lot of things! So, the pandemic hit us, I lost my job, I went to KCC with the intention of eventually having a business that trains and hires people with special needs, because my sons need a good future…and I dove right into it. A project I did in marketing made me fall in love with my vision, and I ran with it!

It was soon after she started selling breads and jams at the farmers market, and is now busting her butt trying to get Delectable Treats and Sweets established so that she can provide more opportunities to the people in the community who need it:

I was a food prize finalist last year and won the Global Recognition Award, all in my first year! I am trying so hard to make this happen. If you don’t have someone close to you with different abilities and needs, you know someone who does. And their quality of life is important. Let’s make some opportunities while eating good.

For now, she's just going to keep climbing the ladder until she gets where she needs to be.