Seven months ago Annabel Figueroa opened Donerds Donuts at 3 East Fourth St., in between a Subway and the popular Funhouse bar – and across the street from thousands of hungry customers who are students at Lehigh University.

Let it be stated at the outset that this is not your generic donut shop. In addition to classic offerings (e.g. glazed, chocolate, etc.) Donerds sells specialty donuts of every sort, many of them original creations. They even vary their delicious offerings by season. Small wonder that when the owner was asked “How’s business,” she replied, ”Great!”

In addition to providing fabulous donuts to many Lehigh students (among other customers), Donerds Donuts also sponsors The Coffee Club Connection, a group that meets at the shop between 3:30 and 4:30 on the first and last Monday of each month.

Organized by Figueroa, the club (which is really just an informal gathering, not an organization with rules, officers, etc.) aims to provide a safe, welcoming place for autistic adults to meet and enjoy each other’s company. To break the ice, she provides an activity for everyone to participate in.

At the first meeting, guests played trivia. Bingo will be featured at a future gathering. Meetings are advertised on social media and on Meet-Up.com at “coffee club connection.” Register at Meet-Up, and you will score a 25 percent reduction in the price of coffee and donuts.

Family members usually accompany their autistic relatives to the meetings. The first meeting attracted a dozen autistic individuals. Attendance at the second meeting was affected by a lot of rain, but a half-dozen people still came out.

Finally, the Big Question: Why would the young owner of a new donut business think to sponsor regular meetings of autistic adults in her shop? It can’t be the money, and some owners wouldn’t welcome people whose behavior can seem a little different.

Figueroa explains that she wants to help the community. Also, growing up in Chile she was fascinated by the autistic adults whom she met. She hopes that families looking for a fun, safe outing for their autistic members will stop by and try out the new “club.”