Seabreeze High School alumnus with special needs opens cat cafe

Pure Joy Cat Cafe helps finds forever homes for cats — and employment for those with special needs.

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Since opening its doors on May 25, Pure Joy Cat Cafe has celebrated 27 adoptions.

And while helping cats find their forever home is the ultimate goal, it's not the only mission in mind for the owners, father-son duo Frank Lund and Isaac Morden. The mission is also about giving people with special needs an opportunity for employment.

"Just because you have a disability does not mean that they need to be excluded from the general population," Lund said. "Because here were are — we've got an individual who is a business owner."

Morden, 22, has Down syndrome and recently aged out of the Exceptional Student Education program at Seabreeze High School. His family were trying to help him find a job in the community, but it was a challenging process. Not many people want to hire workers with special needs, Lund said.

They were working with Vocational Rehab while Morden was still in school to get him placed in a job, but were unsuccessful. This solidified the idea that the family needed to take a different approach.

"We heard about a cat cafe, and thought this would be a great opportunity for him," Lund said. "He loves animals, and the atmosphere itself is very reserved ... so low stimuli."

On Tuesday, July 30, Morden received donations for his nonprofit cat cafe from his friends who are part of Project Squad, a Special Populations program by the city of Ormond Beach that helps with volunteer efforts to teach self-determination skills while helping the community.

Five members of Project Squad delivered the donations, which included cat food, litter and toys, and spent time with Morden — and the cats, of course — inside the cafe. 

"They thought the cats were cute and they liked playing with them," said Lori Koplin, Special Populations coordinator for the city of Ormond Beach. "... They spent a good half an hour in the back trying to coax the kittens out, so that was really fun to watch."

Koplin said she can see how much Morden loves the cat cafe. He's been participating in the city's Special Populations programs for two years. Because he is a friend to many in the programs, Project Squad decided to give back to Morden's business.

Many special needs individuals do have a hard time finding employment, Koplin said. Most businesses only offer them cleaning positions.

Which is why the cat cafe stands out — it gives Morden, and any other special needs individuals hired in the future, a chance to do something different. 

"I think people need to learn they're a value to the community," Koplin said. "They deserve a spot."

Pure Joy Cat Cafe has been in contact with EasterSeals to try to provide work experience for other special needs individuals in the community, Lund said.

Morden is in charge of helping socialize the cats before they're adopted — and he cleans the litter boxes, though that's not his favorite part.

When Morden is with the cats, kitten or adults, Lund said he often hears his laughter. 

"These kittens that may be a little skittish come up to him," he said. "He does have a gift where cats, all animals, just absolutely love him."

It's because Morden has a "huge heart for everything," Lund added.

It's always a great feeling to see Morden be included with his friends. Morden is very social. 

"He's super proud of the cat cafe and to have his friends show up here, that was just the ultimate for him," Lund said. "He loves it. He watches out the window and then says, 'Oh, friends are coming.'"

Pure Joy Cat Cafe is located at 1120 Beville Road, Suite C, in Daytona Beach. Visit purejoycatcafe.com. To learn more about the special populations programs offered by the city of Ormond Beach, visit https://www.ormondbeach.org/736/Special-Populations-Programming.

 

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