This Mom Opened Up a Restaurant Where Kids With Special Needs — Including Her 2 Autistic Children — Could Work

A true inspiration!

Mom Stacey opened her Long Island restaurant, Cause Café, not only to serve up some delicious treats, but also to help the kids in her community — specifically, those with special needs, including her own two children.

"Cause Café is a restaurant that I founded in honor of my children, Brittany and Logan, both of whom have autism," Stacey explains. "They communicate with an iPad app."

MORE: This Ice Cream Shop's Mission Is to Train Disadvantaged Young Adults for Success (Grab Your Tissues!)

She adds, "My goal for the Cause Café employees is to have a meaningful life and be purposeful, and learn how to interact in the community."

And, Stacey says, it's working! "I've noticed major changes in all my employees since they've been working here. They have a lot more self-confidence and they feel purposeful."

Stacey gushed about all her employees — including her daughter, Brittany, who, she said, went from working only 10 minutes at a time to full 2-hour shifts. But we wanted to celebrate Stacey for the amazing work she's doing.

That's why, when we invited her on our show to tell us all about Cause Café, we sent her home with two prizes: Nest fragrances, along with a $5,000 donation from the company towards the café … and a cruise with Autism on the Seas, which specifically serves families with special needs!

MORE: How One Family Is Helping to Make Their Community a Better Place

And you can tell by her reaction that she was SO excited!

Watch Stacey's emotional reaction — and learn more about Cause Café — in the video above!