About
Garage 21
Our Passion
Driving Purpose, Building Skills: The Engine Behind the Mission
Garage 21 was founded by Ryan Charpentier with a simple, powerful belief: everyone deserves a space to learn, grow, and experience the thrill of building something tangible with their own two hands. Driven by a desire to give back to the special needs community, Ryan wanted to step outside the boundaries of traditional education and therapy. His goal was to create a program that was fundamentally fun, uniquely different, and deeply impactful.
That’s when the vision for Garage 21 was born—rooted in the realization that the perfect classroom isn't always a room with desks; sometimes, it's a garage.
More Than Just Mechanics
At Garage 21, the hands-on excitement of working on cars serves as a vehicle to teach essential life skills. There is something incredibly grounding and rewarding about popping the hood, getting your hands a little dirty, and seeing how things work from the inside out.
More Than Just Mechanics
At Garage 21, the hands-on excitement of working on cars serves as a vehicle to teach essential life skills. There is something incredibly grounding and rewarding about popping the hood, getting your hands a little dirty, and seeing how things work from the inside out.
But the mission goes far beyond building and restoring cars; it is about building up people. Through these automotive projects, participants learn:
- Problem-Solving: Diagnosing issues and figuring out the right steps to fix them.
- Teamwork & Communication: Working together to lift heavy parts, passing the right tools, and communicating effectively to get the job done.
- Patience & Focus: Taking the time to do a job right, step-by-step, even when a stubborn bolt won't budge.
- Confidence & Pride: Experiencing the unmatched feeling of turning the key, hearing the engine roar to life, and knowing exactly who made that happen.
A Safe, Inclusive, and Empowering Garage
The special needs community is filled with incredible individuals who have boundless potential. Often, standard learning environments don't cater to their unique talents or hands-on learning styles. The [Company Name] garage is designed to be a safe, inclusive, and judgment-free zone where individuals can learn at their own pace.
By providing a fun, unconventional environment, Ryan and his team aim to help bridge the gap between dependence and independence. They are dedicated to outfitting participants with life skills that translate far beyond the garage doors.
JOCO Cars and Coffee Story
Joco Cars and Coffee isn’t just another car meet—it’s where the energy, passion, and people behind the machines come to life. While the incredible cars are the draw, the heartbeat of this event is the stories, the community, and the shared excitement that fuels Kansas City’s car culture.
Founders Ryan Charpentier, Stephen Kaspar, Quinn Kaspar, and Kevin Hodges launched Joco Cars with a distinct vision: to create an event by the community, for the community. Rejecting the idea of self-benefit, they’ve built an avenue where the focus is shifted away from the founders and onto the people. Their goal was to provide more than just a car show; they wanted to create a platform for individuals to build genuine relationships and lasting friendships that enrich their lives far beyond the parking lot.
At its core, Joco Cars serves as a powerful tool to give back. The event is intentionally designed to benefit local special needs organizations, the community, and our schools. By creating a space that enriches the people in and around these institutions, Joco Cars turns automotive passion into tangible support for those who need it most. It is an environment built to uplift, educate, and provide resources to the Kansas City area.
So, pull up, show out, and connect with fellow enthusiasts. Meet new people, check out unique rides, and experience the vibe that makes this scene unforgettable. Whether you’ve got a head-turning build or you’re just here to soak in the atmosphere, you are part of something bigger. Joco Cars is where you need to be—not just to look at cars, but to find your community.
Want to Get Involved?
If you want to get involved with Garage 21, JOCO Cars and Coffee, or simply sponsor an event, please reach out by sending an email to ops@garage-21.org and we will get back to you as quickly as we can.
Become A Sponsor
Come to events and advertise your business! All we ask from our sponsors is to help cover the cost of each event.
Volunteer
Help volunteer to help run one of our events or help at one of our supported organizations.
Spread the Word
Sometimes doing even the little things can help in a big way! Spread the word about Garage 21 and our events on social media and to your friends!