After months of construction and preparation, MOXI Junction which stands for Mothers Of Exceptional Individuals, opened its bright blue, hand-painted door to the world. But this is not the average coffee shop opening; MOXI is giving life to a dream held tight by a group of mothers with special needs adults. By starting a unique business with a spin, MOXI gave Laren Kilgore, Kara Tully, and Chris Leon a reason to get up in the morning.

“They love getting up, coming over, and making money. They want to do something- they were at a point in their lives where they wanted to do nothing. Now they want to do something,” said Joanna Kilgore, founder and mother of Laren Kilgore.

Since the grand opening four weeks ago, MOXI’s small staff of seven has received remarkable amounts of love and support from members of the community.

Jenny Stephenson, a MOXI customer, has been looking forward to the coffee house’s opening for quite awhile.

“I think it’s an awesome entrepreneurship,” Stephenson said. “It’s very colorful, a fun atmosphere, very welcoming and tons of art to purchase.”

From cards, to flowers, to quickly dedicated regulars, MOXI Junction has made itself a home on Academy Avenue.

“The community support has been huge, way bigger than we ever would have thought,” founder and mother of Kara Tully Scarlett Tully said. “We got a card from someone saying we were the best thing that’s happened to Maize in a long time.”

Despite the warm community welcome, MOXI is still lacking in one area- teenagers.

“Every other group comes in: moms with kids, teachers, middle schoolers[…] I don’t know why them and not high schoolers,” Kilgore said.

The founders anticipated MOXI to be booming with teens, making necessary preparations to host groups of high school students. MOXI Junction offers free wifi, an upstairs level for group gatherings, and numerous power outlets throughout the venue.

MOXI Junction is open Mon. through Fri. from 6 A.M. to 5 P.M.