BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - At first glance, Stir looks much like any other coffee house with a menu filled with lattes, espressos, and all of the usual favorites. The sound of milk steaming fills the air as customers look for a quick pick-me-up.

But what sets it apart is its people.

Stir is largely staffed by people with special needs, including Alec Reed.

“It’s bigger than me because I advocate for people with special needs, that’s kind of like my job. So a place like this also advocates for people with special needs, so I love it because it helps people like us get jobs and everything,” Reed said.

Katie Jenkins, the owner of Stir, said the coffee shop has opened doors for its workers — opportunities that haven’t always come easy elsewhere.

“A lot of them, it’s their first job or the

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