Howdy Homemade Ice Cream opens in downtown Cary. Meet the heroes

Howdy Homemade Ice Cream, now open in downtown Cary, isn't just a place for sweet treats. Inside you'll find a group of heroes working hard to make a difference.

The shop is bringing homemade ice cream flavors, like Dr. Pepper chocolate chip, to the Triangle while employing people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

At Howdy, these employees are called heroes.

Triangle-based entrepreneur Phillip Lin decided to bring Howdy Homemade to Cary after learning about the franchise from a former employee. The shop opened earlier this month at 370 S. Walker St., in the heart of downtown Cary's buzzing development.

"Being inclusive is very important to me ... I realized that, in this world, we don't really do a lot for people with special needs and disabilities," Lin said. "My goal is to train and mentor them so they can either stay at Howdy or branch out into the workforce."

Lin was moved by something his mother told him as a child.

"When I was younger my mom told me, if you're able, you need to impact the community and the world we live in," he said. "This is my part of that."

One hero, Allen Whitley, has tuberous sclerosis, a rare genetic disease, and has suffered a stroke. Allen works at Howdy Homemade with his mom, Cherie, who was his full-time caregiver before the two found a job they could do together.

"It's been the best job in the world because it's been my only real job," Allen said. "All these people here, I just love."

Cherie, now a shift manager, is thankful for an opportunity where she can work while being near her son, who has seizures.

"My son's condition isn't very common," she said. "There are all those different challenges he has, but they're willing to accommodate them all so he can be here and have meaningful work."

Another hero, Anna Merrils, joined the Howdy team because she knew Maddie Rogers, Howdy's general manager.

"Now I work with my friends," Merrils said. "I am so excited."

Rogers graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December. She tutored Merrils during a college internship at Gigi's Playhouse, a nonprofit serving people with Down syndrome located right next door to Howdy Homemade. That's how she discovered her new job.

"It kind of exploded, as soon as people found out Howdy was coming to the area," Rogers said.

According to Rogers, many of her heroes recognized each other but hadn't seen each other in years.

"It's amazing how connected everyone who works here is," she said.

"Allen would not have had this opportunity without their willingness to give back," Sherie added. "It has been so amazing to see all these employees come together and enjoy getting to know each other."

Lin has plans to open another Howdy Homemade in Raleigh.

"Life is short," he said. "I want everyone to know this is a good time to come together as a community to fight for inclusiveness."

WRAL multiplatform producer Ryan Bisesi contributed to this story.