Chinese mom starts business to help special needs students in South Bay
A Chinese-owned embroidery company is making a big difference in the South Bay.
Campbell, California – A Chinese-owned embroidery business is making a big difference in the South Bay, as one mother's efforts to help her special needs son are now helping many others in the community.
Shelley Meng said she came to the United States with her husband in 1988 to attend school and start a family. When she found out her son had autism, she began helping other students with disabilities, which led her to start her own business.
“When my son was 3 years old, some of my friends who work with special needs children helped me,” Meng said.
After connecting with Friends of Children with Special Needs, Shelley Meng says she wanted to give back to the organization that helped her son with autism. She volunteered at the adult day program for more than 10 years, eventually teaching students life and job skills.
“We taught them a lot of things – how to cook, make sandwiches, do laundry – and then we focused on vocational training.”
In 2020, Meng launched her embroidery company, Turtle Works, with no prior knowledge of the industry. She wanted a business with skills that students could enjoy and easily learn. After she and her husband invested about $200,000 in the company, they partnered with three local school districts, including Campbell Union High School District, to provide job training.
Meng said the school district pays its own students' salaries and uses equipment that simplifies the embroidery process.Longtime customer David Rodger, who also has a son with autism, said it was the quality of the work that drew him to Turtle Works.
“This isn't like getting a crayon drawing to put on the fridge. This is a quality product, and now my employees are asking me to ask Shelley to make additional products for them,” said EXFO's David Rodger.
Meng's impact on the community has not gone unnoticed: Turtle Works has won numerous local awards and been featured in local newspapers, including Chinese-language publications in the Bay Area.
“It says, 'Chinese mom starts business to teach skills to autistic kids,'” said Meng, who translated the headline into English.
Meng says she named her company Turtleworks after the story of the tortoise and the hare. She wants her special needs students to come out of their shells and learn skills just like their peers, even if it takes them a little longer to achieve their goals. Meng's motto is “slow and steady wins the race.”
