EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso Community Foundation opened the unique Gozo’s Ice Cream shop this year in Downtown El Paso. And now, they are seeking to expand and create more opportunities for the Borderland community.
The ice cream shop, which is located at 601 N. Oregon St., Suite 1, hires adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, allowing them to work, shine, and practice life skills.
Adam Tirres, the program manager with the Community Foundation, said the shop is meant to fill a gap in the City.
“One of the biggest things is, you and I after we graduate from college or we go on from school, we usually end up working somewhere. And we have a lot of social Interactions with our co-workers, with our friends, with our family. And that’s sort of lacking in this world, so the ice cream store, because it’s customer-facing, provides that,” Tirres said.
The Community Foundation is set to open three more Gozo’s locations in spring 2025.
“By opening more stores, we will provide 15 more opportunities at a time to adults with disabilities. Furthermore, it’s really important for kids and families and the general public to see, when they walk into the store to see people with disabilities working behind the counter, providing excellent customer service,” Tirres said.
Tirres adds that Gozo’s is also looking to expand its manufacturing operations by selling the ice cream at local grocery stores and in smaller markets.
For more information about Gozo’s, you can click here.
Read: Read More