Mountain Mail Article

Photos by Cailey McDermott

Typically, The Mixing Bowl is staffed with one Starpoint consumer and a job coach. John Swartz, a Starpoint consumer, has been working at the store “since the beginning.” From left are Swartz, Kris Voltertsen, Lisa Dominguez and owner Katy Grether.

 

by Cailey McDermott 

Mail Staff Writer

When Katy and Bob Grether decided to open The Mixing Bowl, a kitchenware store, in 2005, they approached Starpoint to see if any of the organization’s consumers would be interested in a job. Starpoint provides services and support to adults and children with cognitive and physical disabilities. The center has been serving Chaffee, Fremont and Custer counties since 1977. Katy Grether said the partnership with Starpoint has been wonderful.

The Grethers moved to Salida in 1999 from Berkeley, Calif., with their developmentally disabled daughter, Molly. Finding employment for Molly was part of the motivation for opening the store, Katy said, and neither Katy nor Bob actually works there.

“We wanted to provide a place where developmentally disabled people could learn employment skills, enrich the community and interact with the public,” Katy said. “We wanted them to realize their dreams.”

Eleven consumers currently work at the store and Katy said they are “very dedicated” to their jobs. Four supervisors, trained as job coaches, also work at the store. Every shift has at least one supervisor and one consumer.

“We have the best employees with great can-do attitudes. We’re very grateful for their help in our store,” she said.

The couple had no retail experience before opening the shop and didn’t know what should be sold. Bob asked local businesses and residents what niche was lacking in local business and repeatedly heard, “kitchenware.” Inspired by Chef Alice Waters, Katy said she tries to promote the idea of “eating local” by selling locally made foods. Waters, a fellow resident of Berkeley, was the inventor of the “slow food” movement, Katy said.

The Mixing Bowl has been part of Salida Business Alliance since opening six years ago. Katy said it’s important for businesses to network and it’s nice to have a sense of camaraderie.

“I’m just proud of my store; it’s part of my identity. I like giving back – that’s my thing,” she said.

PROFILE: Aimee

POSITION: Supervisor

LOCATION: Salida, CO

Aimee has a blast working at the Mixing Bowl. She loves working with all the people there. Aimee’s job includes running the cash register, pricing, customer service and really anything else that needs to be done.

When she isn’t working, Aimee enjoys spending time with her little puppy Hunter. She also loves hanging out with her family and friends. Aimee is quite the adventurer with activities like hunting, fishing, hiking, and riding her bike on her list.

PROFILE: Marie

POSITION: Supervisor

LOCATION: Salida, CO

Marie is a hardworking and ambitious individual with many wonderful talents. She is always a joy to work with and loved by everyone. Her favorite job at the Mixing Bowl is organizing shelves and schedules. When she is not spreading cheer at the Mixing Bowl, she is at her salon, Shear Envy, making someone feel special and beautiful. She possess a wide range of hobbies and interests – dirt biking, four-wheeling, hiking, and spending time with friends.

PROFILE: Kristin

POSITION: Supervisor

LOCATION: Salida, CO

Kristin just recently celebrated her one year anniversary at the Mixing Bowl. She always has a great attitude and good outlook on life. It is guaranteed to be a great day full of laughs when working with Kris! Working at the Mixing Bowl is a life changing experience for all who work here. Kris feels as though she has become a better teacher and learned patience.

When Kris isn’t hard at work, she likes to spend time with her family. She and her husband have spent time together working on her ’74 Dodge truck. Both of her daughters participate in ballet and make their mom proud at practice and recitals. She also enjoys movies, swimming, and bowling. Come in and enjoy her hospitality and charm!

PROFILE: Shirley Annette Oversole

POSITION: Sales Associate

LOCATION: Salida, CO

Shirley enjoys answering phones and dealing with the customers at the Mixing Bowl. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family which includes her three children. Shirley’s hobbies vary from horseback riding and bowling to shopping. She truly is an asset to our organization.

PROFILE: Molly

POSITION: Sales Associate

LOCATION: Salida, CO

Molly’s favorite task at the Mixing Bowl is pricing items. She enjoys helping print off the prices on the computer. Molly also likes opening orders and discovering all of our fun and new products that we are going to carry. Molly’s favorite pastime is eating pizza at Amicas and then going swimming. She also likes to travel to see her best friend Fredrick who lives in California.

PROFILE: Stephanie

POSITION: Sales Associate

LOCATION: Salida, CO

Stephanie really enjoys her time spent working at the Mixing Bowl. Using the computer to check out customers is her favorite thing to do. Greeting and helping customers is one of her strong points and she loves meeting new people.

When Steph isn’t working, she loves to go bowling. She thinks bowling is a blast! Steph also spends a lot of time at the library reading all different kinds of books. She loves to rock out to music, country being her favorite. She also does the tractor pull – she does amazing at it and earns lots of ribbons. Dancing and arts round out Stephanie’s interests.

PROFILE: Linda

POSITION: Sales Associate

LOCATION: Salida, CO

Linda has amazing personable skills. She is sweet and kind and has a great heart. Her customer service skills are unsurpassed. She loves meeting, greeting, and helping new people. she really enjoys keeping the store organized and looking great. When she isn’t working at the Mixing Bowl, Linda is the receptionist at Starpoint. She answers the phones and helps direct people when they come in the door.

Every Sunday, Linda attends church with her mom. After church, she stops by the Mixing Bowl to say HI and see what’s going on. She really enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She just recently got an iPad and loves playing word search on it. Every day, Linda goes on a walk with her friend Johnny.

PROFILE: Rebekah McCallie

POSITION: Sales Associate

LOCATION: Salida, CO

Starpoint recently did an article about Rebekah; you can read it here – Rebekah Article by Starpoint

Rebekah has been with the Mixing Bowl since day one! Rebekah loves the challenge of working with the new computer system at work. Rebekah is very gifted at working with customers and helping them with product info in the store – She is a rock star at customer service.

When asked what she enjoys doing away from work, she proudly states that she loves to write poetry, watch movies, and listen to music. Her Wednesdays and Sundays are spent at church. She loves spending time with her mom and her brother, whom she is very close with. Rebekah is very proud of her independence at work and ability to live on her own. Her motto is: “Don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself.”

Hobbies and Activities include: Church, photography, poetry, and going to Colorado Springs with her family.

PROFILE: B.J. Stinett

POSITION: Sales Associate

LOCATION: Salida, CO

BJ is hands down the most enthusiastic employee here at the Mixing Bowl. He really enjoys his time spent here. Dusting and the Soda Stream are among his favorite things about the store.

When BJ isn’t hard at work, he enjoys listening to music. His favorite band is Heart and their album “The Rose.” BJ is also considering picking up latch hook as a hobby. When the weather is nice, he goes to Frantz Lake here in Salida to feed the ducks.

BJ’s most apparent strong points are his enthusiasm when dealing with customers. He is also very passionate about learning all the tasks on the computer. He is a great listener and quick learner. We really enjoy having BJ at the Mixing Bowl – he can brighten anyone’s day with just a smile!

Hobbies and Activities include: music, watching movies, acoustic guitar, and playing video games like Grand Theft Auto 2.

Soda Stream

The Salida Mixing Bowl is now proudly offering do-it-yourself Soda Makers from Soda Stream. The Soda Makers are easy to use: turn tap water into sparkling water in seconds! With a variety of flavors to choose from, there’s something for everyone! Learn more at Soda Stream USA or stop by the store to get yours today!

Here’s a video review from GreenGear.info on the Soda Stream (please note, our store prices vary and have changed since this video was produced 2 years ago):

PROFILE: John Swartz

POSITION: Sales Associate

LOCATION: Salida, CO

John always has a warm smile on his face. His favorite thing about the Mixing Bowl is the customers. He also really enjoys the magnets and the Soda Stream. Come on in and he’ll tell you all about making your own soda.

When John isn’t at work, you can probably find him getting a drink at McDonalds or out to dinner at Amicas with his friends George and Beverly. He loves to ride his bike all over town, rain or shine! John’s favorite sport is Bocci Ball. He is known by many locals for the medals he has won at the Special Olympics in Colorado Springs. He is a big fan of the Denver Broncos as well.

John does an extraordinary job on the computer when checking out customers. He also excels in counting back money. If you’re ever having a bad day, stop on in and John is sure to turn your frown upside-down.

Hobbies and Activities include: traveling, playing bocce ball, participating in the Special Olympics, and collecting basketballs (some of which are from the Harlem Globe Trotters).