Nick’s Shaved Ice is a local non-profit, you may have seen it at the Wolfforth Farmer’s Market. Their mission is to provide jobs to adults with developmental disabilities. And the product they sell is right there in the name: shaved ice. And the reason for shaved ice, according to executive director Bruce Bussell, is safety. “The only person who is ever been hurt by the shaved ice is me,” he laughs as he dives into detail on each of his employees.
Two weeks ago, Bruce Bussell the executive director of Nick’s Shaved Ice, feared the worst for his growing non-profit. They had recently moved from their food trailer into a small building inside the Wolfforth Farmer’s Market. Within weeks they were the first to close their doors because of the pandemic.
“The reason we’re shut down,” Bussell says, “Nick’s immune system is not as strong as ours. If nick were to get this virus, it could be catastrophic.”
Nick is Bussell’s son and the reason he and his wife started Nick’s shaved ice. Nick was born with down syndrome and by the time he was two, his parents knew he would never hold a regular job. Bussell spent 38 years working as a teacher for children with developmental disabilities. Having spent a career working alongside people with the same disabilities as his son, who functions at a moderate level, he knew job opportunities would be limited for his son. So, they decided to create a job for him. Twenty years later, Nick is now an employee of his parent’s nonprofit, and according to his dad, a gifted shaved ice maker.
"Nationally, less than 15 percent of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are employed."
Nationally, less than 15 percent of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are employed, according to a 2017 report from the National Core Indicators. Bussell recognizes the need for job opportunities for this group in Lubbock. He says has a list of at least 50 people who have inquired about employment opportunities for their children at Nick’s Shaved Ice Paradise. Currently, they are only able to employ seven people, but he has dreams of growing that significantly.
“We were hoping that we could become more of a shaved ice place,” Bussell says, “Something like a sandwich shop or dessert shop and hire 25 or 30 young people but also have classes. We could impact literally hundreds.”
But this was all before the pandemic hit Lubbock. Initially, Bussell opened the shop as a for-profit business. He quickly learned that he could apply for grants and receive donations to support the overall mission, if they transitioned to a nonprofit. Two weeks after Nick’s Shaved Ice re-opened as a brick and mortar nonprofit at the Wolfforth Farmer’s Market, everything was put on hold. The family saw their goals evaporating. That was until the community stepped in to help.
Stephanie Lindblom is the owner of Chickie’s Tasty Treats, a vendor at the farmer’s market that decided to take action. Initially she just wanted to give away free cupcakes at the market to make people smile during such a grim moment in our collective history. She decided to take donations for a charity—any charity really. The owner of the market suggested Nick’s. “As the [owner of the Wolfforth Market] described Nick’s situation, I just felt so bad for them.”
Lindblom is a local business owner in a similar situation as Bussell. She was in the process of transitioning from an online business to a brick and mortar business as well. And just like Bussell’s planning, everything was put on hold for her. However, she explains that she and her family are in a good place financially. And she wants to help wherever she can.
So that’s what she did. As she passed out free cupcakes to visitors at the Farmer’s Market, the donation pile grew to over $300, and then the anonymous donation came in for $1800. The total that Saturday came to $2100, enough for four months of rent for Nick’s Shaved Ice.
“I haven’t even met these people,” Bussell says. “I don’t even know them. Out of the blue I get a phone call from the owners of the market that said this lady raised money.”
Bussell looks forward to meeting Lindblom in person when the coronavirus has passed. He thinks that with the help of these donations and as long as they can go back to work in the summer, Nick’s Shaved Ice will weather this storm.
