Employees at four special businesses in Gaston County returned to work Monday.
It’s been more than a year since employees of Cherubs Cafe, Bliss Gallery and Cotton Candy Factory in Belmont, as well as the Spruced Goose Station in McAdenville, have worked regularly out of the establishments. Managed by Holy Angels in Belmont, the businesses serve to provide employment opportunities for adults with intellectual developmental disabilities.
COVID-19 shutdowns prompted the businesses to close in March 2020. The businesses reopened later in 2020, but the Holy Angels establishments closed again due to health and safety concerns ahead of the winter months.
And while the businesses have been open this year, crew members, who are vulnerable to diseases such as COVID-19, have remained at home. Monday was the first time some employees worked alongside their team members and greeted their favorite customers in more than a year.