Sabrina Tremblay, co-founder of Young Employment Success Lake Oswego, told the Lake Oswego City Council on Oct. 7 that the city lacks post‑school employment and day‑program options for young adults with disabilities and urged the council to support a new nonprofit, YesHello, that aims to create local training and jobs.

Tremblay, appearing during the public‑comment period, said the group’s first concept is “a culinary and barista training program that will evolve into a community space” the founders call the Living Room of Lake Oswego. The program would provide a mix of vocational training, volunteer roles and a permanent community space so young adults “can build fulfilling lives right here in their own hometown,” she said.

The appeal picked up personal testimony from Becky Owens, a parent of two Lake Oswego School District graduates. “When these students turn 21 and age out of the school district’s community transition program, opportunities in the city disappear,” Owens told councilors. She described the end of CTP services as a “cliff” that leaves families scrambling for work or day‑program options for adult children with disabilities.

Both speakers described YesHello as a phased nonprofit that would begin with training classes and develop into onsite enterprises — examples included a small café or community hub where participants could learn skills, serve the public and gain paid employment. Owens said her son would likely need supports that do not exist locally now: “If Max wants to get paid for doing something he loves, like baking or serving the public and talking with customers, we would need to look far outside Lake Oswego for any sort of meaningful opportunities.”

Tremblay and Owens asked the council for “guidance, encouragement and collaboration” as they move from planning to implementation. Councilors did not take formal action during the public‑comment period; the remarks were recorded in the meeting minutes and the organizers said they will return with requests as the nonprofit moves forward.

Why it matters: families said the school district’s transition services provide structure and purpose that end at age 21, leaving local young adults and caregivers without sustained employment or daytime supports. YesHello’s founders asked the city for advice and potential partnership as they develop the program, which its leaders say will be delivered in phases and rely on local volunteer and employer partnerships.

Next steps: organizers said they expect to return to the council with specific requests for support and partnership as the nonprofit develops its programs and funding strategy.