Fueled by AF: Empowering employees with disabilities to create beloved snacks

CHICAGO - A local business is boasting a 28 percent higher efficiency rate because they hire individuals with disabilities. They have tapped into the talents of people who are often overlooked to create a product that people love.

"The kitchen group is our solid three ladies behind me," said Fueled by AF founder Angelica Ford. "They bring everything and more. I promise you,"

Kate Rabinak, Angela Missimi and Allison Berggren are among 20 employees with disabilities that Ford has employed to work at her nutrition company.

"Fueled by AF started because I was training for an Iron Man and I really struggled to find a snack that I could put in my bike pouch, that I could eat one piece at a time," said Ford. 

Ford said becoming an adaptive employment opportunity for individuals with disabilities just made sense.

"What most people don't understand is that most people with disabilities offer a high efficiency rate and a low turnover rate to businesses…We're repetitive so that means everything gets done the same over and over again," Ford said.

Each day, the kitchen crew makes about 5,000 protein bites and even more nut butter. 

"Angelica hired me because I have a seizure disorder," said employee Kate Rabinak. 

"I’ve been looking forward to doing this job and making money for outings with my friends and things, so I always wanted to do this job and I love it here," added her co-worker Angela Missimi.  

This holiday season they are packing up limited edition nut butters, spreading a message of kindness and inclusivity.  

If you want to check it out, head over to FueledbyAFSnacks.com.