Martha Calie, the young entrepreneur behind “Shoot for the Moon Animal Treats,” receives a holiday stairlift donation courtesy of 101 Mobility® in Lexington.
BEREA, KY – When Martha Calie first began baking and selling specialized dog treats for a family friend’s store in Berea, Kentucky, her mother Mary didn’t know whether to consider it a hobby or a microbusiness. That’s why she eventually decided to allow Martha, a young woman living with cerebral palsy, to decide for herself.
“We knew that after a few months (of trying the process out) we would ask Martha if she wanted to keep going,” remembered Mary. “She did. She even selected learning a second recipe as her Senior Project. That was the birth of Martha’s tiny microbusiness, ‘Shoot for the Moon Animal Treats.’”
The name of the business is fitting, seeing as how getting involved in the enterprise has allowed Martha a therapeutic activity to discover her independence, to truly “shoot for the moon.”
And, of course, Mary quickly points out that the treats are “loved by dogs” everywhere!
However, the product line didn’t stop there. To date, Martha has added three more baked creations into the mix; doggy delicacies such as “Top of the World Peanut Butter Bones,” “Martha’s Cheesy Moons,” and wheat-free “Pumpkin Spice Treats.” Mary says that Martha’s love of baking and animals fuels her willingness to take on new recipes and creative ideas for products.
Martha’s kitchen
There was only one issue: Martha’s workspace at her parent’s home in Berea was dwindling. The kitchen, where all of the baking is done, was quickly overrun with products and ingredients, leaving little room for Martha to package the treats and develop new crafts. If they wanted to keep expanding their small operation, they were going to have to find more space… and fast.
Lacking the funds necessary, Mary applied for a Hart Supported Living Grant to improve accessibility to their kitchen and basement. She figured the basement would be the perfect place for Martha to experiment with new ideas. Since Martha uses a wheelchair to get around the house, they would need to find a product that could take her up and down the basement’s long staircase. Yet, unfortunately, they weren’t selected.
“There simply isn’t enough money to meet everyone’s needs,” Mary said. “So then, I began to address access in a piece-by-piece basis. Access to our basement had to come after the kitchen was made accessible.”
From left to right: Jason Murdock, Justin Murdock, and Will Moore
While the Calie family began working on their kitchen, 101 Mobility® in Lexington’s owner, Justin Murdock, felt eager to provide a donation of some sort during the Christmas season.
“At an expo this last spring, I had asked a few people in the field to be on the lookout for a family in need that had fallen through the cracks,” Justin said. “Keith Brockman, who works with the Hart Supported Living Grant program, shared with me this family’s story. And with their permission, he passed their info on to me.”
After Justin met with Martha and the rest of her family, the decision seemed like a no-brainer. He made the call to donate a Bruno Elan stairlift to provide Martha with safe access to her basement.
On December 23rd, one day before Christmas Eve, Justin and the rest of 101 Mobility® were on the scene to install the stairlift. After several hours of securing the lift into place, Martha now had access to her basement, completely free of charge and just in time for Christmas.
From left to right: Martha Calie, Nikki (Martha’s helper), and Mary Calie
“I just cannot describe the excitement at my house this evening,” Mary expressed shortly after. “Martha is checking the stairs each time she goes down the hall. (Her father) and I am overwhelmed by such a generous gift from 101 Mobility®. It will enhance Martha’s life on a daily basis for the rest of her life.”
She explained that now it will be possible to set up a painting space to enable Martha to paint fabrics for dog bandanas, surely the perfect tie-in for their business.
“We had a great experience working with 101 Mobility®. They were all about the outcomes, efficiency, and courtesy. At each turn, expertise was demonstrated. Information about how to care and operate the lift was shared in an easy-to-comprehend fashion.”
Justin remarked that, for him and his crew, being able to give back over the holiday season undoubtedly felt better than receiving.
“It was a great experience for us. They are truly a wonderful family.”
More Photos:
About 101 Mobility®
101 Mobility® is a full-service franchise business that specializes in mobility and accessibility equipment. Products include stairlifts, ramps, auto lifts, patient lifts, pool lifts, bath lifts, vertical platform lifts, and more. Visit 101Mobility.com to learn more.
101 Mobility® franchisees are supplied with geo-specific online marketing campaigns, in-person training, on-going support, and a proprietary business management platform. Visit 101MobilityFranchise.com to find more information about our franchise process.