Thursday, October 1, 2026
Students from Hangout One Happy Place, in Baldwin, shared a joyful and empowering experience on Jan. 14, when they made two large pizzas from scratch in the kitchen at Lia’s Pizzeria in Oceanside.
For the eight students who took part, the outing was more than just a fun afternoon — it was an opportunity to learn about teamwork and build independence and confidence in a real-world setting, surrounded by encouragement and support.
Hangout One Happy Place, founded by Baldwin resident Angela Lucas, is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing young adults of all abilities together in creative social programming. The organization offers a variety of art, dance, fitness and life-skills classes six days a week, and gives participants a welcoming space to learn, grow and build meaningful connections.
One of those offerings is a cooking class. Looking to give her students hands-on experience beyond the classroom, Lucas reached out to Lia’s Pizzeria to ask whether it would be open to hosting the group and teaching them how to make pizza, and the answer was an immediate yes.
“It was absolutely amazing,” Lucas said. “The owner, Tony, was absolutely so kind to us,” she added, referring to Tony Vicari. “All of the staff there is always so kind.”
Lucas brings the group to Lia’s every Wednesday night, and the staff has made them feel like they were at home. Last week, students were welcomed behind the counter and treated like part of the team. Each took part in the process, adding sauce and cheese to the dough before watching their pizzas slide into the oven.
What stood out to Lucas was the trust the restaurant staff showed the students. “He let them be free,” she said of Vicari. “It wasn’t like, ‘Don’t touch this.’ It was just so free-flowing. Such a happy day, and such a gift that he gave them.”
That sense of trust made a powerful impact. In many settings, adults with all abilities are often limited or closely supervised, even when they don’t need to be. “Not many people will open their doors to people with all abilities,” Lucas said. “Kindness pays it forward, and [Tony] paid it forward big time.”
The atmosphere in side the pizzeria was one of excitement, as students worked side by side with Vicari, and other members of Lia’s staff, carefully spreading sauce and sprinkling cheese before watching their creations bake. The pride on their faces was unmistakable when the finished pies emerged from the oven.
After the two pizza pies were out of the oven, the students from Hangout One Happy Place were able to sit in the dining area and enjoy their creations.
“It was beautiful,” Lucas said. “The kids were so happy. Everyone in the restaurant was happy. It was awesome.”
