![Drew Miller pictured working at Tasty Plate with chef Rhianna Bidmade. Picture by Eddie Guerrero Drew Miller pictured working at Tasty Plate with chef Rhianna Bidmade. Picture by Eddie Guerrero](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/379mw9XPZ7UFRqmwjWhGKkr/7c4f06bb-40b0-4e5e-87b6-66dece8bf913.jpg/r0_0_5296_3531_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The mother of a heartbroken Tasty Plate participant has written to Brophy Family and Youth Services asking for answers.
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Merrin Miller said her son Drew, 37, was heartbroken to learn he had lost his job after working at the cafe for more than 10 years.
Brophy made the announcement on Monday last week the business would close.
Its closure affects 19 staff members and 14 NDIS participants.
She said he mistakenly thought at first he was the only one who had lost his job and was heartbroken.
"He was absolutely shattered on Monday night," Mrs Miller told The Standard.
"His nephew Harry asked him if he wanted to play Mario Kart but Drew had tears running down his face and he said 'I'm going to miss my friends'."
Mrs Miller said Drew had been depressed when the family moved to Warrnambool over a decade ago.
"When we moved to Warrnambool in 2010, Drew had no direction," she said.
"We were significantly challenged finding a job or program in Warrnambool that stimulated him. Something that gave him opportunity to reach his full potential on a daily basis and supported him in fostering relationships with a range of people in our local community."
However, she said Tasty Plate aligned with what she was seeking for her son, who has Down Syndrome.
Mrs Miller said she didn't know what Drew, who had met one of his best mates through Tasty Plate and worked at the business three days a week, would do now.
"I don't know what he will do," she said.
"He loved Tasty Plate. He loved talking to the customers and he loved having a job.
"Every night he would put his clothes out and make his sandwich for lunch the next day."
Mrs Miller said she had written to Brophy to ask them why the decision was made and to ask what options there were for her son.
"As we reflect back on Drew's first day and compare it to the individual he is now, he has simply thrived over the past 10 years," she wrote.
"This is due to the fact that Tasty Plate is a collective. Drew's work colleagues and friends all supported him every day in developing his social skills and life skills to ensure he was being an active member of our community.
"He had purpose every day. As Drew's parents, all we want for Drew is for him to be happy, safe and supported in everything he does.
"Working alongside Tasty Plate and keeping Drew engaged in his daily tasks, Drew has been able to become his own person. The incredible workers and carers that Drew has worked with over his time in this space have supported Drew in achieving some things we thought were impossible in our first year in Warrnambool.
"We have always advocated for our son and we will continue to do so because he deserves nothing less than equal opportunities nor does his peers.
"From a community perspective, this shop aligned with our progressive and inclusive world.
"As individuals we all benefit from human connection as it is so important for our physical and mental wellbeing.
"It is no different for our disabled community - they are humans too and deserve the same opportunities. Tasty Plate supported integration in Warrnambool and now that opportunity has been removed without consideration of what comes next for all these employees.
"You have simply removed a sense of belonging for these hard workers and valued members of the Warrnambool community."
Mrs Miller said Drew was working towards a goal of living independently.
She said Tasty Plate had played a huge part in helping him move towards this goal.
He cooks one night at home and regularly shows his mother the correct way to make sandwiches.
"It's just terrible," Mrs Miller said of the closure.
"So much of Drew's life and the other participants is about routine.
"To have that routine taken away and for the parents to pick up the pieces - it's devastating."
Mrs Miller admitted she was angry when she heard the news.
She said she has spoken to parents of people with a disability who wanted to work at Tasty Plate who had been told there was a waiting list.
"What Helen (Ridgwell) and the board achieved was something amazing," she said.
"It's devastating that has been taken away."
Mrs Miller said she hoped Tasty Plate would reopen.
"Drew would be back there in an instant," she said.
On January 12 Brophy Family and Youth Services chief executive officer Francis Broekman said dwindling numbers was the reason behind the shock closure of Tasty Plate.