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Ashley Monogue Photography
Peering into The BEE Community workshop in Bryan, artisans can be seen rocking out to music favorites while carefully perfecting their products. Guests walking through the shop can truly see the joy and pride these artisans bring to their work — and it makes it even sweeter after they learn the organization's backstory.
Starting her life's work in special education, The BEE Community Executive Director and co-founder Taylor Ellerbrock says she had a passion for helping to create a safe and loving space for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who wish to work and share their talents. Joining together with Rick and Carolyn Jones, Taylor began to dream up what this community could be through vision and prayer nights.
In September 2018, the founders were able to see their vision of providing meaningful work and a place of belonging come to light with the launch of The BEE Community hiring seven artisans in a room at Grace Bible Church. The program has since grown to include 20 artisans and has even found a new permanent home in Bryan.
“BEE is an acronym, which stands for Brazos Employment Enterprises,” Taylor says. “We love the metaphor of a beehive, the worker bees and the sense of community that is found in the hive. We are not beekeepers, contrary to popular belief, but we've kind of taken that metaphor and run with it focusing on creating that sense of community and excellent work.”
Each day artisans are welcomed with open arms and begin their day with a morning motivation meeting, where they learn professional development skills and gear up for the day ahead, Taylor says. The workday consists of four 45-minute work periods broken up with fun and interactive breaks and lunchtime.
“We follow the same schedule every because that routine really helps set all of us up for success, but no two days are ever the same here — you never know when a random dance party might break out,” Taylor says. “We try to really build in different supports throughout the day to allow everyone to flourish with the gifts that they have.”
Artisans are a part of teams who rotate to create different products throughout the day. The teams are based on personalities and give opportunities for collaboration through the development of communities.
“The concept of community is super important to us. One of our core values is the place of belonging — we want anyone who comes into these walls to feel like they belong and can enter into authentic genuine relationships,” Taylor says. “We have a saying that we use a lot: we're better together. If someone is having a tough day, we're there to support them. If someone reaches an accomplishment, we are there to celebrate with them.”
The program began with creating handcrafted soaps, but the types of products has quickly grown with the number of artisans as well as their different interests. Products include soaps, concrete jewelry, stationary and even peanut butter dog treats.
“We try to listen to the artisans's interests and look at their skill sets and the gifts that they have to create products that we can adapt to different abilities,” Taylor says. “We work hard to set high expectations for the products that we make and really find this beautiful intersection of allowing our artisans to use their gifts to create products that customers want to buy.”
The program is more than just creating products — artisans are able to be part of a workplace where they feel valued and loved, Taylor says.
“Something that our artisans teach a lot of us is that work is a gift. There is the toil and the struggle of work, but without it, we lack purpose and meaning,” Taylor says. “I think through music, laughter and jokes, our break times, setting goals and celebrating them, seeing the best in other people — all of these collectively — really make the community what it is and draws other people into wanting to be a part of it.”
“It really is just tapping into the inherent wants and needs that we all have, and letting people be themselves. We are quick to laugh, admit a mistake and fail forward to receive grace and try again,” she says. “All of those things work together to create the sculpture where work can be fun and centered around the value of people.”
With much support from the community, Taylor says the program has been able to grow and add artisans as well as add to the events the organization hosts.
“The BEE Community would not be what it is without the local community,” Taylor says. “We really need and rely on the Brazos Valley community to be a part of the work that we're doing. We love opening up our doors for people to come on tours and meet the artisans to really see that impact.”
The organization operates with a full time staff but also heavily depends on volunteers to help with the program. Volunteers are able to help at one-time events, on special occasions or even can get on a rotating schedule to become a recurring volunteer, Taylor says.
“Our volunteers bring talent and service, but mostly they bring friendship,” Taylor says. “We believe that people with disabilities are not just people to be pitied or cared for, but really have gifts to provide to this community, to society and to others. We really champion seeing walls come down between people with and without disabilities and creating spaces where people can enter into mutually beneficial relationships where there's a give and take reciprocity to it.”
Within the next year, the staff has some ambitious goals to add to and strengthen the program, but with continued community support Taylor says she believes anything is possible.
“This year, we are hoping to expand our facility and be able to bring more artisans onboard,” Taylor says. “We are hoping to expand our product line with new products and to add in a couple new events into our calendar to be able to just create more opportunities for people with and without disabilities to enter into this relationship.”
The BEE Community is open Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The store is located at 3829 Old College Road in Bryan. For more information on the program, how to donate or to buy products, visit thebeecommunity.com.
