Village Bakery's popularity has exploded with the cocoa bombs, so Bellefeuille is seeking a brick-and-mortar building to expand her team and continue providing opportunities for everyone to shine in the kitchen. "I really want to learn to bake from scratch."īaking assistant LoriAnn Macklin, 18, of Post Falls, worked to decorate and add sprinkles to the cocoa bombs during a demonstration. I really like her ideas for the cocoa bombs,” Lizzie said. Lizzie Adams, 17, of Rathdrum, is laser-focused on building her culinary skills. “Adding the marshmallows inside, of course,” he said, giggling. "I never wanted the bakery to be about me."īaker-in-training Andrew Shiley, 32, of Coeur d’Alene, was all smiles as he talked about how tasty the cocoa bombs are. Every single day, being surrounded by all of these wonderful people," she said. When asked how she feels about how everything has transpired, “it’s going to make me cry,” she said. "We met a young lady there who has Down syndrome, and she said that she wanted to work in a coffee shop or a bakery, and that’s when the idea launched, because of the program there," Bellefeuille said. The idea to dedicate her business to those with disabilities and special needs came to Bellefeuille as her son went through Project SEARCH, a high school transition program that provides education and training to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "Now I see the need on what we need to do." "There’s plenty of bakeries here, and I didn’t see the need," she said. Bellefeuille has a son on the autism spectrum and a daughter who has a physical disability, “so their entire lives were surrounded by other kids with special needs," she said.Įveryone told her to open a bakery, but it just never seemed right.
Her inspiration began where her heart is - her children. "We’ve had teams of five, six people at a time donating their time and effort to come in and join me, side by side, to help get this launched," Bellefeuille said. All the funds Village Bakery has generated so far have gone back into the business. "I said, ‘Aha! This is what I need to do for their fundraiser.'"īellefeuille, who has 20 years of baking and culinary experience, mentors people with special needs and disabilities who dream of becoming proficient bakers and expanding their horizons.Īll of her bakers-in-training are volunteers building their skillsets and enthusiastic to learn. "Cocoa bombs exploded," Bellefeuille said. The cocoa bombs are then placed in mugs, to be doused with hot water or milk that causes the ball to burst in the cup, revealing the deliciousness inside. When one half is filled, a little melting chocolate seals together the sweet sphere, which can be decorated in countless ways. When the cupcake sales didn't take off, Bellefeuille found the sweet spot with a new treat that was sweeping the nation.Ĭocoa bombs are hollow chocolate balls filled with cocoa powder and marshmallows and other goodies. PAS, a nonprofit that supports individuals with an autism spectrum disorder and their families in North Idaho, contacted Bellefeuille about a possible cupcake fundraiser around Halloween. On Thursday evening, she and a few of her volunteers gathered to celebrate raising $10,000 for the Panhandle Autism Society through the sale of a super popular treat: cocoa bombs.
“Everyone just needs to be given a chance to shine,” Bellefeuille said.īellefeuille is a self-taught chef who runs Village Bakery out of her Coeur d'Alene home.
That's Dana Bellefeuille's kitchen - filled with love and delicious treats, founded on opportunities for all. It's also a joyful kitchen that doubles as a bakery and triples as a loving space where people of all abilities are invited to make their dreams come true. Happiness is a warm cup of velvety cocoa and marshmallows.
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