Sharon Lee

The founder of Tender Hears Cafe, Sharon is a 63 year old single mum and cancer survivor. She has 2 daughters, one of which is a 28 year old special needs with Attention Deficit Disorder. She considers them to be her blessings.

Tender Hearts is a social enterprise founded for special needs youths on 27 December 2016. It is targeted at special needs youths to transition them into independent living and future employment. They have youths of different disabilities including Downs Syndrome, Autistic, ADD, ADHD, Turner Syndrome, Asperger, Slow Learners and Cerebral Palsy. They are self-sustaining through baking cookies as festive and corporate gifts, catering, running a cafe, and participating in events like pop-up stores, bazaars, and arts and crafts. They are constantly looking out for any opportunities for their youths to engage and learn.

Sharon’s passion for charity and community programs stems from her schooling days back in the 1980s where she was involved with Leo Club, a community of youths dedicated to giving back to the community. When she had her daughter, she had a goal to create a platform to provide employment opportunities to special needs individuals, especially those interested in the culinary arts.

Sharon encourages everyone to be more inclusive towards the special needs community and include them in the workforce, as they too, deserve equal rights and opportunities.

Making an impact means championing the rights of the special needs youth for inclusion, acceptance and equality towards a better future for them!