Groundbreaking Ceremony

Reconcile New Orleans, Inc. broke ground today on a $5 million expansion of Café Reconcile and related development and training facilities at 1631 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. in Central City. The expansion will provide over 15,000 square feet of new or renovated space, enabling the organization to more than double the size of its workforce training programs.

“This is a historic day for Reconcile. We have been blessed by the many friends who have encouraged and supported us over the years,” said Craig Cuccia, Founder. “This expansion marks an incredible opportunity for us to help those students we regrettably turn away each year because we do not have the space to accommodate them. With our expansion, we will have the capacity to increase our enrollment from 75 to more than 200 students each year!”

Café Reconcile is a nonprofit restaurant that uses innovative strategies to provide life skills and job training to youth from highly distressed communities in the New Orleans area. Many of Reconcile’s students arrive facing extreme hardships such as poverty, homelessness, violence and participation in the juvenile justice system. Through the years, Reconcile New Orleans has provided more than 500 youth with an opportunity to enact positive changes in their lives.

Reconcile New Orleans was joined today by longtime friends and supporters of the organization as well as Central City neighbors and city and state officials, including Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu.

“The life skills, job training and work experience gained from Reconcile are critical to the success and survival of our communities in the Greater New Orleans area,” said Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu. “The skill set taught by Reconcile empowers students to overcome challenges as they develop greater self esteem and strive to become positive contributors in their community.”

Reconcile New Orleans has served as a cornerstone in the economic development of Central City, a neighborhood plagued by poverty for decades. In addition to workforce development programs, Reconcile strives to fuel economic vitality and growth in Central City and the greater New Orleans area by creating jobs and encouraging entrepreneurship.

The plans for the new and renovated buildings were designed by SCNZ Architects, and the completed construction is expected by October 2010. Features of renovated and expanded facility include:

• Expansion of Café Reconcile – The renovated and expanded Café Reconcile will increase seating capacity from 80 to 120, and a new state-of-the-art kitchen will allow better culinary training for students.
• Catering Center and Banquet Hall – The new Catering Center and Banquet Hall, funded by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, will provide the space and technology to expand catering services as well as to train students in higher skill culinary arts.
• Family Learning Center – The Family Learning Center will provide members of the community with an opportunity to access GED preparation, enroll in parenting classes, and attain computer skills through collaborative efforts with Central City partners.
• Business Accelerator Center – In partnership with Good Work Network, the Business Accelerator Center, funded by Shell, will provide office space and organizational assistance to promote and support local entrepreneurship.
• Institute for Social Innovation – In partnership with Lt. Governor Landrieu’s Social Innovators Institute, Reconcile is developing a plan to share its model with people from other communities across the country. The Institute for Social Innovation will provide the infrastructure to make connections, provide training and forge new partnerships committed to the holistic development of families.

According to Sr. Mary Lou Specha, Executive Director, “We are excited to share our model with leaders from other communities across the country.”