Inside a Buckhead bakery, the smell of cookies fills the air. But for the bakers, the real reward is something more than sweet treats. It's friendship, purpose, and a place to belong.

For Maya Saha, learning recipes alongside two dozen friends is more than practice in the kitchen.

"I think my favorite part is learning how to do the recipe," she said.

Saha is part of Wonderfully Made, a nonprofit day program created for adults with intellectual disabilities. Members measure ingredients, mix dough, and package cookies to be sold online, all while gaining life and job skills they can use beyond the kitchen.

"Wonderfully Made is a community," said co-founder Kelly Kannwischer. "We're a community for adults with intellectual disabilities, and one of the ways we gather is through baking."

The goal is to teach these adults life skills they can use beyond the program. Some of the members now work at places like Crumbl Cookies and Publix.

The idea was born after three women, including Kannwischer, saw the challenges that often follow for adults with intellectual disabilities once high school ends. 

"We thought, we can do better...we can help give these adults purpose," she said.

Alongside baking, Wonderfully Made also offers activities such as pickleball and gardening, but the bakery is their biggest endeavor.

After years of baking at home, the group opened its own space at Peachtree Church earlier this year. Now, leaders hope to inspire other neighborhoods in Atlanta to start their own chapters.

"There are so many adults with intellectual disabilities, and their families would really love to have a place to belong," Kannwischer said. "Anyone that wants to start a Wonderfully Made chapter, we would love to talk to you."

For members and families, the message behind the baked goods is simple: just like each cookie, everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made.

You can learn more about Wonderfully Made here.