Last Saturday, at the DAV Flea Market, my family and I discovered a small hot dog cart where two young entrepreneurs, Jordan and Harley Pringle, were serving up some delicious food.

“The cart is in Jordan Pringle and Harley Pringle’s names. It came about because traditional employment doesn’t always fit for them. Not everyone sees their abilities. Not everyone understands our schedules,” says their mother, Mary Pringle.

The tantalizing smell of their hot, tasty, food wafted through the market, as they worked tirelessly serving a line of customers. Hotdogs were in high demand, as well as their homemade cookies, and the empanadas were irresistible.

When they finally caught a short break, I sat down with them, my mouth full of food, to learn more about this new venture. Maker of the empanadas, Harley, described how she loved making the delicious golden pockets of dough, filled with either chicken or ground beef, and how she enjoyed serving them to customers. When I told her how good the empanadas tasted, then asked for the recipe, she beamed a giant smile, and giggled, “The exact way I make them is a secret, but I’m really glad you like them.”

Her brother, Jordan, chimed in, saying, “She won’t give you the recipe. She can’t, it’s special. We just love serving food to people and people love our food.” He encouraged me to try the beef empanadas, which were equally amazing. In fact, I left with a bag full, as they were simply too wonderful not to take back home and share with the rest of my family. As I left, another line of people began forming around the cart. The whole crew smiling, greeting their customers, quickly getting each order filled.

“Harley’s goal is to work the hot dog cart until her empanadas are in such demand she will need to open a small bakery in town. This way Jordan will need to buy her investment out so she is working now to have a down payment on a bakery. Does she understand all of that? No, she just knows she is working towards one day having a bakery, which is her dream,” explains Mary.

“It has been such a positive experience for them to learn about finance, paying bills ‘on time’, the meaning of follow through. Early morning hours, clean up even when it is raining or they simply don’t want to, all the responsibilities involved in keeping your investment protected,” their proud and supportive mother, goes on to say, “Right now they aren’t making profits. Although, being able to pay their bills related to this cart, is important to keep their dream alive. They have employment coaches and support staff guiding their way. It is a blessing to be in a small community who embrace them.”