At 22, while his childhood friends were beginning the next chapter of their lives after graduation, Troy sat at home. Alone.
Troy is an adult with intellectual disabilities, and for many people like him, the transition out of high school marks the end of their most consistent source of community. Opportunities for a meaningful life outside of work and home are few and far between. While parents or caregivers are away during the day, many spend hours in isolation, with limited opportunities for friendship, purpose or social interaction. Even for those who are capable of holding a job, employment alone rarely replaces the sense of belonging and connection that school once provided.
That reality spurred Troy’s aunt, Kitty Correll, into action. Together, we created Wonderfully Made, an organization with a vision to bring purpose, belonging and dignity to this often-overlooked community. As active members of Peachtree Church in Buckhead, we didn’t have to look far for a home. We saw several rooms sitting empty during the week — spaces with the potential to become places of connection, friendship and belonging.
Since launching our day program in 2024, Wonderfully Made has grown to full capacity. It has become a meaningful gathering place where adults with intellectual disabilities, whom we call Wonder Makers, build friendships while participating in devotion, art, exercise and fellowship, before spending the afternoon working together in the Wonderfully Made Bakery.
Our bakery is the heart and soul of the program, generating revenue from cookie sales that sustains this work, while helping to bridge the gap between Wonder Makers and the surrounding community. Wonder Makers work alongside volunteers to bake and sell cookies, enhancing their visibility in society and sparking joy among everyone they meet.
To be clear, Wonder Makers are not employed by the bakery. Wonderfully Made is a nonprofit institution and all revenue goes directly back to the organization. The bakery functions as a hands-on, interactive activity that reflects the heart of our program: creating a safe space where adults with intellectual disabilities can come together, build friendships, and live full lives within the community, not in isolation from it.
This is a key ingredient of our approach, one we believe is ready to expand. The vision has always been to go beyond our initial chapter and bring Wonderfully Made to new communities.
We are actively exploring partnerships with area churches, synagogues and other underutilized community spaces that are ready for higher use. The demand is there. After just 14 months in operation, our waitlist continues to grow with families who are waiting, urgently, for more space.
There are two Atlanta-area places of worship that we are already having conversations with about opening new chapters. The model is proven. The demand is clear. For those who are interested, we tell them to consider the following:
- Pinpoint the need. If there are families within the congregation who have an adult child with intellectual disabilities who have lost their peer community, how is the institution able to support them?
- Evaluate the resources available to you. Look around your building. Count the rooms that are empty Monday through Friday. These spaces can have a higher purpose. Identify when these spaces are available for use or reallocate their use for the sole purpose of this program. With a defined space, you have a firmer idea of the program’s capacity and functionality.
- Understand the associated costs. Peachtree Church donated the space we use and helped fund the renovation that transformed their former Lodge coffee shop into a commercial kitchen and gathering room. We also receive revenue from tuition, bakery sales and philanthropy. Enrollment operates on a sliding scale beginning at $600 per month, and we have a wide volunteer network sharing their time and talent. That’s how our program is supported. Are long-term, continuous funding streams realistic within your organization?
There’s much to consider, but if an organization has a heart and vision for the core mission, the rest will fall into place.
Our three-year goal is to raise $1.5 million. That investment will grow the Wonderfully Made cookie brand, develop ready-to-use resources for institutions that want to launch their own chapters and provide hands-on coaching for new chapter leaders.
We want to extend this work from one campus in Buckhead to communities across Atlanta and beyond. There’s a world of Wonder Makers waiting.
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