2008 New Orleans Mobile Workshop

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Café Reconcile

 

As part of the nonprofit Reconcile New Orleans, the cafe employs local residents, and, through its St. Regis Hospitality Program, offers on-the-job training for at-risk youth. Both the restaurant and the program are part of an effort by the organization to promote harmony and hope in this innercity community.

Up to 10 students at a time (ages 16 to 21) participate in the six- week St. Regis program. Most of the kids-teens struggling with poverty, drugs, difficult home situations, and more-come to Café Reconcile by recommendation.   Besides offering hands-on job experience, the program focuses heavily on life-skills training-from financial management to emotional development.

 

Ironically, Hurricane Katrina brought a dream to the forefront for this nonprofit. Before Katrina there was a 15% home- ownership rate, Katrina exacerbated this housing need. Reconcile New Orleans found a solution by setting up a partnership with CrossRoads Missions and Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative (one coordinates constructing homes, and the other acquires lots, respectively). Together they build houses, working on four to six at a time. "Our first house went to Joron Smith, an alumnus of St. Regis and now the chef here at Café Reconcile," said Craig Cuccini, Co-Founder. This collaboration spawned another mentoring workforce program. Modeled on St. Regis, Reconcile Construction provides at-risk young adults (ages 18 to 25) with on-the-job building experience and life-skills training.

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Cafe Reconcile New Orleans continues to grow. Plans are in the works to renovate the restaurant and to build out the floors above it. These improvements will be funded through Reconcile's capital campaign, "Building on Strong Foundations." The second floor will become the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Culinary Training Institute.

 

The other floors will include a family learning center, a business accelerator sponsored by Shell Oil Company, and office space for Reconcile employees. Each one of these will support the overall mission of Reconcile New Orleans: to revitalize the community and offer a "hand up, not a hand out." 

 

 

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SOURCE: Café Reconcile: Serving Up Hope Southern Living, Oct 2007, by Jones, Sara Askew

CAFE RECONCILE WEB SITE

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The AIA Tampa Bay wishes to express their appreciation for the support of the

2008 NOLA Mobile Workshop to our sponsors: John Rosende, Jr., Jeld-Wen and The Molding Depot, Inc. of Tampa .

 

For additional information visit: www.aiatampabay.com