1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, Welcome to Story Behind Podcast. This is the 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: show for people who love hearing a good story and 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: who believe the world could use more positivity. We're the 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: team behind God Updates and God Too, and we hope 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: these weekly short stories will brighten your day. 6 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 2: Denny's Busboy serves for forty eight years than is honored 7 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 2: with a heartwarming celebration. Written by Heather Wrigglemann, read by 8 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 2: Julie Provost. Denny's Busboy serves for forty eight years and 9 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 2: is honored with a heart warming celebration. It's rare to 10 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 2: stay in a job we like, and it's even more 11 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 2: rare to let that passion for a job last nearly 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 2: fifty years. It's even rare to keep showing up with joy, 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 2: purpose and dedication for nearly fifty years. In a world 14 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 2: that changes fast and moves on quickly, faithfulness like this 15 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 2: feels almost sacred, But Barney Mullen has quickly been doing 16 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 2: just that Since nineteen seventy seven seventy eight. Barney has 17 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 2: worked at Denny's and Phoenix for nearly five decades. He 18 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 2: may not be a celebrity or headline maker, but to coworkers, customers, 19 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 2: and everyone lucky enough to know him. Barney is something better. 20 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 2: He is beloved. The restaurant held a special celebration, Barney's Knight, 21 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 2: to honor his forty eight years of service. Customers filled 22 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 2: the restaurant, coworkers cheered, and the man who had spent 23 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 2: decades helping others was finally celebrated himself. A Manda Curtis, 24 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 2: one of his coworkers, shared what makes Barney so special. 25 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 2: He's amazing. He comes in, knows his job, never stops 26 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 2: until you sit him down for lunch, and then he'll 27 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 2: get back and keep going. He's an inspiration to a 28 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 2: lot of people here. She said, that kind of work 29 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 2: ethic can't be taught. It comes from the heart. Barney 30 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 2: was first hired during a time when many businesses were 31 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 2: unwilling to give opportunities to people with special needs. But 32 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 2: Barney didn't let barriers to find him. He showed management 33 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: what he could do, proved himself as a hard worker, 34 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 2: and never looked back. Max McQueen and Laura Turner Holmes said, 35 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: I always say he was a pioneer because he proved 36 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 2: to employers that people was needs can do jobs, show 37 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 2: up on time, and Barney does it with enthusiasm. Sometimes 38 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: changing the world doesn't happen on a stage. Sometimes it 39 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 2: happens one shift at a time. As part of the celebration, 40 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 2: twenty five percent of the evening sales went to the 41 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: special needs community where Barney lives. And in true Barney fashion, 42 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 2: even though he wasn't scheduled to work that night, he 43 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 2: still put on his apron and started helping. The apron 44 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 2: read keep calm and let Barney handle it, of course 45 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 2: he did. When asked how long he plans to keep working, 46 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 2: Barney simply said, as long as you can. There's something 47 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,359 Speaker 2: beautiful about a life that keeps showing up, about hands 48 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 2: willing to serve, about purpose that doesn't retire. The world 49 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: often applauds fame, but Heaven surely knows faithfulness, and Barney 50 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 2: Mullen has been shining at both for forty eight years. 51 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 2: Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, 52 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 2: and not to mend Colautionans three twenty three. The coffee 53 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: Shop creates opportunity for workers with disabilities and inspires a community. 54 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 2: Autism is a common diagnosis, and every day more families 55 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 2: are learning how to help their loved ones thrive in 56 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: a world that isn't always built with them in mind, 57 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 2: But people like Anthony Paulmari are helping change that story. 58 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 2: Because Anthony doesn't focus on disabilities, he sees abilities. He 59 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 2: sees gifts, potential, and people who deserve the chance to shine. 60 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 2: At Chase Coffee Roasters and Pullerton, customers come for hand 61 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 2: crafted lattes and fresh roasted coffee, but they leave with 62 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 2: something even richer, a glimpse of what inclusion truly looks like. 63 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 2: The Orange County coffee shop actively hires workers with disabilities, 64 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 2: and Anthony says the mission grew from his years as 65 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 2: a special education teacher at Woodbridge High School. For a decade, 66 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 2: he taught students, many with autism and often heard the 67 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 2: same question from parents, where can our children find meaningful work? 68 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 2: That question stayed with him. This was a reoccurring theme 69 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 2: I noticed, and that prompted me to want to try 70 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 2: and create an environment for my students. Anthony said, we 71 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 2: create paying jobs for individuals with disabilities. We promote an 72 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 2: inclusive environment. Barriers are broken, and broken barriers are beautiful things. 73 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,119 Speaker 2: His very first employee was Chase to Suma, the barista 74 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 2: who inspired the coffee shop's name. Since then, many of 75 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 2: the employees have been Anthony's former students. Another employee, Joe Barbeza, 76 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: who was diagnosed with autism around age three, says working 77 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 2: there has been life giving. I have a lot of 78 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 2: fun at Chase Coffee Roasters. It's great to have fun 79 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: when you meet a lot of new customers, have regulars, 80 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,920 Speaker 2: and make some new coworkers. That joy matters, belonging matters, 81 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 2: opportunity matters. Another employee, Ian Jeffers, shared that after a 82 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 2: car accident in brain surgery affected parts of his memory, 83 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 2: the coffee shop created systems to help him succeed. Visual cues, 84 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,679 Speaker 2: printed step by step recipes, and workflows designed for support. 85 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 2: You think, Anthony with words that say it all. Thank 86 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,359 Speaker 2: you for making a place that makes the world just 87 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 2: a little bit more accessible and functional for people like me. 88 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,600 Speaker 2: Sometimes changing the world doesn't happen through grand speeches. Sometimes 89 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 2: it happens through especial machines, patients, kindness, and a boss 90 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: who believes in people. Anthony is also committed to quality 91 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 2: coffee roasting means in house and serving product customers love, 92 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 2: but he knows the real gift being poured out there 93 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 2: every day is dignity. Visitors think we're a normal coffee 94 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 2: shopping said, but we do so much more. Yes, they do. 95 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,599 Speaker 2: They're reminding the world that every person has a value, 96 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: every worker deserves a chance, and every barrier can be 97 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 2: broken when someone chooses to see the people the way 98 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 2: God does. 99 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast. 100 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story. 101 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: To see photos and videos that may have been referenced 102 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: in this episode, check out the links and the show notes, 103 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed what you heard today, subscribe to 104 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: our podcast and please tell a friend about us. We'd 105 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: also love it if you'd rate us and leave us 106 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: a review. It really does help more people find us. 107 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: Story Behind is a Salem Web Network production.