{"id":538,"date":"2026-03-09T14:19:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T14:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/?p=538"},"modified":"2026-03-09T14:36:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T14:36:22","slug":"ability-blend-coffee-is-now-available","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/2026\/03\/09\/ability-blend-coffee-is-now-available\/","title":{"rendered":"Ability Blend Coffee Is Now Available"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"postie-post\">\n<p>Ability Blend coffee \u2014 roasted and packaged by self-advocates in the Institute for Disability Studies\u2019 EARN IT program \u2014 is now officially available for purchase. Each bag represents hands-on job training, skill development, and meaningful employment opportunities for the individuals we serve.<\/p>\n<p>Through the EARN IT program, self-advocates gain real-world work experience while learning valuable skills in coffee roasting, packaging, quality control, and teamwork. Ability Blend is more than just a great cup of coffee \u2014 it\u2019s a product created with purpose, dedication, and pride.<\/p>\n<p>Every step of the process happens in-house, with participants taking an active role in preparing each bag for customers.<\/p>\n<p>Ability Blend is currently available for purchase for $15 per bag, with pickup offered at IDS front offices in Hattiesburg and Long Beach Tuesday through Thursday. Free delivery is also available across both University of Southern Mississippi campuses.<\/p>\n<p>By purchasing Ability Blend, supporters are doing more than buying coffee \u2014 they are investing in opportunities that empower self-advocates and strengthen inclusive employment initiatives across Mississippi.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/commerce.cashnet.com\/usmIDS1\" class=\"su-button su-button-style-default\" style=\"color:#FFFFFF;background-color:#2D89EF;border-color:#246ec0;border-radius:5px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color:#FFFFFF;padding:0px 16px;font-size:13px;line-height:26px;border-color:#6cadf4;border-radius:5px;text-shadow:none\"> Click to Purchase<\/span><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"postie-post\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For more information on Ability Blend or the EARN IT program, contact Amy James, Executive Coordinator for Philanthropy and Development, at 601.266.4435 or <a href=\"mailto:amyjames@usm.edu\">amyjames@usm.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ability Blend coffee \u2014 roasted and packaged by self-advocates in the Institute for Disability Studies\u2019 EARN IT program \u2014 is now officially available for purchase. Each bag represents hands-on job training, skill development, and meaningful employment opportunities for the individuals we serve. Through the EARN IT program, self-advocates gain real-world work experience while learning valuable [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[32],"class_list":["post-538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earn-it","tag-march2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=538"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":550,"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538\/revisions\/550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmids.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}