by Kalliope Bessler
In 2017, Dr. Rik Lemoncello, an Associate Professor of Speech-Language Pathology at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, started Sarah Bellum’s bakery. Dr. Lemoncello’s mission for Sarah Bellum’s is to support adults with brain injuries by giving them a helping hand as they return to work and life after their brain injury.
When Sarah Bellum’s bakery began, four bakers with brain injury were baking and selling products at a farmer’s market in Portland, Oregon once a week. Each baker was coached by a graduate student from Pacific University’s speech-language pathology (SLP) master’s program.
In the summer of 2018, the program grew to 10 bakers and more students from three colleges were volunteering at Sarah Bellum’s. By December 2018, Sarah Bellum’s opened its very first store with the help of donors and sponsors.
Sarah Bellum’s helps adults with brain injury to readapt to life and gain the independence they want through returning to work. The bakery also gives its college student volunteers a valuable education on supporting and rehabilitating adults with brain injuries. While the bakery’s work and plans have slowed during the COVID-19 outbreak, they will likely be back to their work helping the Portland brain injury community reach their fullest potential as soon as possible.
Sarah Bellum’s team
You can read more about Sarah Bellum’s Bakery here: