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9-Year-Old Opens ‘Cam’s Coffee Creations’ to Help Kids With Special Needs

9-year-old Cam Myers' biggest passion is helping people. His new coffee shop, Cam's Coffee Creations is helping kids with special needs, just like him, realize that anything is possible.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Coffee and cause: that’s what you’ll get when you step inside Cam’s Coffee Creations located at 930 South Broad St in Winston-Salem.

Camden Myers, better known as Cam, is the 9-year-old owner of Winston’s new coffee shop.

“We didn't start thinking we would be in business, we started just as a hobby to try and help Cam overcome some of his deficits,” his mom, Latasha Lewis said.

When Cam was born, he suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) which affects his cognitive and physical abilities.

Lewis says as Cam grew he became more and more aware of them and affected his self-esteem.

“It was obvious that running his own business was giving him learning opportunities that he wasn’t getting in traditional learning environments,” Lewis explained.

Before the coffee shop inside the Green Tree Church and Community Center, the family ran a coffee stand outside local businesses where Cam could practice his social and motor skills.

He enjoyed it so much that he proposed doing it full-time at an own location.

On its first day, Cam’s Coffee Creations served 100 customers.

So far, the most popular “creation” in the Cam’s Cookie Craze.

“Cam’s Cookie Craze tastes like a chocolate chip cookie!” Cam added.

This small business isn’t only making a difference in Cam’s life. The shop’s employees have special needs just like Cam making it a sustainable business for an underrepresented community.

At the counter, you’ll notice a display of baked goods made by Bespoke Confections run by Jiliana Dulaney, a wholesale bakery with a similar goal: employing adults on the autism spectrum to teach them basic work skills for future employment opportunities.

“Being here I get to help people with special needs and students,” Cam shared.

But the impact it’s made in his life is no secret.

“The kid you see today is very different from the kid who started this business,” Lewis said.

Cams Coffee Creations is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:00 AM to 12:30 PM, serving “super coffee made by a super dude!”

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