ROCHESTER, N.Y. — One of the stories sure to be shared at the Thanksgiving table is who made dessert, especially if it's not homemade.

Many folks will slice into pies made at an inspiring bakery in Rochester.

“It always smells good in here," said Donna Dedee, CEO at Special Touch Bakery.

Dozens and dozens of pies head down the conveyor belt, ready to make their way to tables this holiday season. But it’s not just the pies that make special touch bakery special, it’s the people making them.

“There's a need to make sure that we have community-based, integrated businesses where people with disabilities can work side-by-side with their peer counterparts in whatever business it is.” said Dedee.

Special Touch works to fill that need, hiring 30 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They do everything from mixing to packing in the bakery.

“They want a paycheck," Dedee said. "They deserve a paycheck. They need to make a living wage. And that's a real a really important goal. And it's an important issue for people of all abilities in our community.”

The concept for Special Touch started 5 years ago in a school kitchen. Now, Dedee and her team make 1 million pies per year, serving people in Rochester and across the country.

“We work with distributors throughout the country who are servicing institutional customers, who are doing wholesale food service restaurants and distribution throughout the country," Dedee said. "So we're even serving or making pies for a district distributor that serves our military overseas."

Just like their pies, Dedee hopes the Special Touch model can be replicated across the county.

“They want to make a paycheck and they want to feel fulfilled in their work," said Dedee. "It's possible, and this is the type of model that should be replicated all over our community and the nation because people of all abilities deserve to be able to work.”