‘Jared’s Jams’ started with a drive to give thanks, give back

It’s all love.”

Jared Niemeyer, proprietor, Jarod’s Jams in Edina

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It was the middle of the Christmas rush, so Jared Niemeyer worked while he spoke.

He talked about how a tasty breakfast spread figures into his sense of purpose and gratitude and his relentless desire to give back.

“Courage and inclusion, all around,” said Jared, founder of Jared’s Jams in Edina.

“I’m thankful for how good God has been to me,” he stated. “My spirit is bright and happy with how the business has grown.”

Jared, 31, a lifelong member of St. Joseph Parish in Edina, has Down syndrome, a genetic condition that often leads to physical and intellectual disabilities.

He began to tune-in to his potential at age 9 when he started training for and competing in Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO).

His progress on the field set him on a course for more success at Kirksville High School, in his job at a local grocery store, in leadership within the SOMO organization, and as an advocate for independence and inclusion.

“Special Olympics has made me a better me,” he said.

Jared’s life has been too good to keep it all to himself. In 2014, he was invited to speak at an international conference at the United Nations on the rights of people with disabilities.

“He was part of a panel asked to discuss how disability had affected their lives,” said his mother, Brenda Niemeyer.

“He shared how an inclusive education, being actively involved in his community and having meaningful employment had impacted his life,” she recalled.

“He shared that his Special Olympics opportunities had helped him grow skills, gain confidence, and understand how everyone has value and has something to give,” said Brenda.

“Those experiences have allowed Jared and athletes, like him, to become empowered and learn to be self-advocates; naturally becoming contributing and active members of their communities,” she said.

Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968 to provide individuals with intellectual disabilities opportunities to recognize their potential, promote physical fitness, and build up the courage to strive to achieve their dreams.

As a civil society, Special Olympics has a global presence and impacts countless lives.

While in high school, Jared served as a member of the Special Olympics Youth Activation Committee (YAC), first for Missouri and at the national level.

This committee is made up of young people leading youth to inclusive living by promoting awareness of disability and potential.

The committee occasionally worked with the U.S. Department of Education and other federal organizations to promote awareness, develop materials, or represent views.

 Jared’s opportunities with Special Olympics have included participating in Special Olympics Capitol Hill Day in Washington D.C.; being invited to the White House in 2014 as part of the “Unified Generation”; speaking to representatives of other countries at the United Nations in 2014 and 2019; and recently completing eight years as an athlete representative to the Special Olympics Missouri Board of Directors.

“Serving as a Special Olympics representative has been incredibly rewarding!” he stated.

Friendly smiles

Jared has been working for 11 years as a courtesy clerk at the Hy-Vee store in Kirksville.

He bags groceries, gathers shopping carts, helps set up seasonal displays and assists customers.

Many customers and their children know him by name.

“Jared’s job fits his personality,” said Brenda. “He’s all about caring for others!”

This time of year, Jared also enjoys making Santa Claus “Ho-ho-ho!” announcements on the store intercom and handing out candy canes to young customers.

Driven by thanks

Grateful for his experiences, especially the 2014 conference at the U.N., Jared starting seriously thinking about what he could do to “give back”.

“It was in my heart,” he said.

He and his parents discussed using the fruit from their farm to make and sell jams to raise money for Special Olympics.

At that time, Special Olympics Missouri had started a capital campaign to build its state of art Training for Life Campus in Jefferson City.

Jared donated 100 percent of the proceeds from jam sales to the cause, raising about $6,000 in two years.

Jared was honored to stand next to the Knights of Columbus Missouri state deputy while taking part in the ground-breaking for the training facility in 2018.

He also attended the dedication the following November.

In 2016, Jared transitioned his jams to a small business, with the blessing of Special Olympics.

For the next six years, Jared’s Jams was a regular presence at Kirksville’s Farmers Market, numerous festivals and events.

However, without an FDA inspected kitchen, the family could not ship or go out of Missouri with their products.

In 2020, as his parents approached retirement from their careers, they began considering building an FDA kitchen in order for Jared to expand his business.

“We also saw it as a way for Jared to give back to the community,” said Brenda, “because he’s all about giving back.”

Edina, like many other small, rural communities, is facing many of the same economic issues due to declining population and limited employment opportunities.

“We wanted to build our kitchen here to bring something to our community that hopefully would not only generate a customer base but perhaps also spark hope,” said Brenda.

“This is where our sons grew up,” she noted. “We’ve lived here for 35 years. The community has shown tremendous support of Jared’s Jams and we’re delighted to be here.”

Writing on the wall

“We bought an 86-year-old building,” said Jared. “And we knocked down walls.”

Their brick structure faces the Court House Square.

Jared and his parents worked with the construction manager (one of Brenda’s former students) and a few others to complete a full interior demolition and begin rebuilding their dream.

Jared’s brother, Josh, ran computer wires, devised a security system and set up a network for the sales and the shipping stations.

Josh has also been the “coffee” contributor of Jared’s Jams.

He provided Jared with the idea and recipes to make specialty coffee blends. This allowed Jared to add coffees to his jam baskets in order to offer “breakfast baskets” to his customers.

Gift baskets continue to be a significant part of Jared’s year-round business.

“And people wrote Bible verses,” Jared noted.

The family invited the community to visit the building and inscribe their favorite tidbits and wisdom from Scripture on the unfinished walls.

The electrical contractors even surrounded the power box with their favorite prayers and verses.

“God led us to the people that helped us with the construction, helped us put things together and come up with a plan to make it work,” said Brenda.

“Our expertise is not kitchens!” she noted. “It took a lot of people having a wonderful heart and intentional desire to help Jared succeed in this for it all to come together.”

During the heat of summer construction, a fellow St. Joseph parishioner quietly purchased cases of bottled water and stealthily delivered them to our building.

“She did it several times before we caught her in the act,” said Brenda. “That’s the kind of spirit in which our community welcomed Jared when they learned that he was renovating this building.”

With heaven’s help

Most of the space is devoted to a large kitchen, with a small storefront at the entrance.

“We make jams, jellies, vanilla extract, coffee blends and fruit syrup in the kitchen and sell them in the storefront,” said Jared.

People can also rent the kitchen to make and sell their own products. The kitchen is also used for community “classes” such as cookie decorating, “instant pot,” and 4-H foods activities.

“We taught a 4-H foods class how to make vanilla extract,” Jared noted.

Jared’s Jams opened a coffee shop in their kitchen and Jared has learned to use the espresso machine.

In his shop, local artisans display and sell their wares.

The family hopes in the spring to begin another initiative. The Knox County School District and Kirksville High School will offer an opportunity to their high school students with disabilities, a “work experience” class in order to develop skills to allow them to be more prepared for employment upon graduation.

“God is guiding us through every single step of the way,” Brenda stated.

“In the building and at home,” said Jared.

“It’s all love”

The Niemeyers have a U.S. map in the store; one color pin noting where they’ve shipped merchandise, another color designating where their in-stores customers reside.

“I just packed three online orders; one to Massachusetts, one to Idaho and one to Pennsylvania,” Brenda stated on Dec. 10.

“And we had customers from New Jersey, in town today, who came by to shop with us!” she said.

Jared’s dream is unfolding while St. Joseph Parish and its members are adopting the stewardship way of life.

The Niemeyers’ small group for studying the spiritualty of stewardship actually meets at Jared’s Jams. “It’s centrally located for everyone in our group,” Brenda noted.

She added that through discovering and appreciating his gifts from God, Jared has learned to stand up for what’s right for himself and other people.

Jared reflects the belief “that all people are loved by God and should be included.”

“That’s part of why he was so determined to give back,” said Brenda. “What started with jam got to be about creating opportunities for other people to know that they’re loved and valued.”

Jared’s father, Dan, spoke clearly of the family’s gratitude.

“We’re thankful for the support of our church family and our community for our endeavor here,” he said.

“We’re thankful that they received us when we moved here 35 years ago, and we continue to be happy in our parish as a community and family.”

“It’s all love,” said Jared.

Something to give

Jared asked for prayers for all who are involved with Special Olympics and for the success of his business.

“I think we also need to pray for all individuals to recognize their value and who they are in Christ,” said Brenda. “As Jared has said so many times, ‘everyone has something to give.’”

Jared believes people can help God answer that prayer. “Open your heart to including and helping others,” he said.

Jared’s kitchen and storefront are located at 106 N. Fourth St., Edina, MO 63537.

Visit Jared’s website jaredsjams.com for information, or call 660-341-0358 or email Jared at jaredniemeyer@gmail.com.