Glow Up
Aves’ grand re-opening was attended by several well-known community members. Those in attendance included Jeff Keil, Helen Voltz, deputy mayor Diana Adams and county commissioner John Dittmore as well as Chamber of Commerce members from Melbourne and Palm Bay. CHUCK PALMER PHOTOS
The new Aves’ Place is as beautiful as its mission
Emily W., a full-time resident at Promise in Brevard, serves attendees at the re-opening ceremony for Aves’ Place Cafe.
The newly expanded Aves’ Place Cafe and the adjacent Treasures Boutique offer training opportunities for individuals with special needs as well as a way for the community to support them — all in one revamped retail destination. Proceeds from the enterprises support the nonprofit Promise in Brevard, which offers affordable housing to 125 individuals with disabilities. And because the nonprofit prioritizes employment as one of its core values, Aves’ currently employs eight Promise residents.
“Aves’ Place is unique in that it allows the community to meet our amazing residents and experience first-hand all that they bring to the table,” said Jeff Kiel, president and CEO of Promise in Brevard. “We are thrilled to be able to expand this beautiful 7,000-square-foot facility and provide additional employment opportunities for our residents. The West Melbourne community continues to be incredibly supportive of our mission in providing opportunities for growth and independence for our residents with disabilities.”
Located inside West Melbourne Community Park on Minton Road, Aves’ Place is the big yellow building nestled between the West Melbourne Skate Park, Amphitheater and Splash Pad and the Space Coast Field of Dreams — a handicapped-accessible playground and sports complex. Since opening in 2020, Aves’ has become a destination for kids and families alike, with both indoor and outdoor rental spaces for birthday parties and other events. But it got off to a rocky start. Just a few short months after opening to customers, the cafe’s doors had to close because of COVID-19. Later that year, it reopened as a scaled-back operation, serving ice cream and snacks to parkgoers on weekends.
This summer, Aves’ Place celebrated a grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting event to celebrate its new and improved venue and menu. The cafe now offers full breakfast and lunch, gourmet coffee drinks, fresh smoothies, and a boxed lunch catering delivery operation. Of course, hand-scooped ice cream and park snacks are still part of the allure.
There’s another added attraction. Formerly in a separate location, off Wickham Road in Melbourne, the Promise Treasures Thrift Shoppe has become the Treasures Boutique — and now it’s right inside Aves’ Place. The boutique is one of Promise in Brevard’s longstanding social enterprises, and a wonderful place to find upscale resale clothing — men’s, women’s, and children’s — as well as furniture, jewelry and more. They even sell dog treats and candles made by the residents of Promise.
Mindy, Janell, Robby, Emily and Robby each enjoy the opportunity to be a part of the staff at Aves’ Place. All were part of the grand re-opening event and look forward to serving customers at the new and improved venue.
Aves’ Place, located at 3095 Fell Road in West Melbourne, is part of the Promise In Brevard Enterprise.
TRANSFORMATION
Michael R. works at the register with job coach Beth Newton.
The whole space received a beautiful makeover thanks to Eliza Hicks — a 17-year-old senior at West Shore High School — who collaborated with the nonprofit’s board of directors, as well as Aves’ Place Manager Kerry Wills. “I was looking to do something different for my Eagle Scout project; something that would benefit a great cause,” Hicks said. She spent three months updating the décor, heading up everything from hiring contractors to buying the materials. “My goal was to bring a youth perspective to the café,” she said. “I began researching designs of other cafes, and worked with the Promise staff and committee chair to set up a GoFundMe account to raise funds for the project.
“I am grateful to have had this opportunity to support the Promise in Brevard’s mission for these special needs adults.”
Janell Parvin is a Promise resident and former member of the marketing team at Promise Treasures Thrift Shoppe. She also spent several years working at Walmart. Today, she is one of the hardest working employees at Aves’ Place.
“I was one of the first to move into Promise, in 2017 right after my mom passed away, and it has been a blessing for me,” Parvin said. “Now, I am able to proudly represent Promise by working at Aves’ Place.”
The Promise Housing Community is a public/private partnership, and the core goals are for all residents who want to be employed to have the opportunity to do so. Funding of $18 million, received from the state of Florida, and an affordable housing credit was used to build the main housing campus.
Promise residents are currently employed at more than 30 community businesses, in addition to Promise-operated businesses like Aves’ Place, the Promise Mailing and Fulfillment Center and the newly launched boxed-lunch catering enterprise.
Whether it is running the cash register or delivering food to a table at Aves’ Place, greeting guests at Publix, being part of the team processing the monthly water bills for the City of West Melbourne, or assembling a catering delivery to Mercedes-Benz and Audi of Melbourne for their Employee Appreciation Lunch, Promise residents enjoy being busy — and, like everybody else, they appreciate the spending money.
“Promise residents want the same things out of life we all do, and a rewarding part-time job contributes toward their independence,” Kiel said.
The vision for Promise emanated from the question: What will happen to my child when family is no longer around to care for them? Most residents at Promise had spent much of their time at home with their parents and never thought they could live independently. Promise provides them with that opportunity, as well as support with life skills, a vast activities schedule, nutrition and exercise classes, and more.
Want to support Promise? Consider making a donation at PromiseinBrevard.com, dining at Aves’ Place, shopping in Treasures Boutique, calling on Promise for help with marketing mailings, or ordering Aves’ boxed lunch catering for a business meeting or event.
Mindy, Janell and Michael, busy working the register, show off their big smiles for the camera.
Aves’ Place Café & Bakery & Treasures Boutique
3095 Fell Road, West Melbourne
[Located in West Melbourne Community Park]
Aves’ Cafe: 321.722.7664
Treasures Boutique: 321.536.4344
Visit: promiseinbrevard.com
Sue DeWerff Panzarino
Sue is an avid surfer, shark attack survivor and storyteller who loves to write about the wonderful people and great organizations on the Space Coast.
