Inspiration Corporation Awarded $300,000 Challenge Grant by Kresge Foundation
Agency to Expand into East Garfield Park, Provide More Services for Homeless Chicagoans as Need Continues to Rise
Chicago, IL, April 08, 2010 --(PR.com)-- The Kresge Foundation has awarded a $300,000 challenge grant to Inspiration Corporation to help the organization to open a food-service training center and social enterprise restaurant in Chicago’s East Garfield Park and to establish an operating reserve fund.
The challenge requires that Inspiration Corporation raise an additional $610,000 by February 2011 to complete its Catalyst Campaign, through which the organization seeks to raise $6 million to better serve people affected by homelessness and poverty in Chicago.
The Garfield Park Cafe, to open in early 2011, will serve nutritious and affordable meals to the general public. In addition, meal “guest certificates” will be distributed to working poor families through a network of community partners, including social service organizations, schools and religious congregations. Collaborators will use the certificates as incentives, engagement tools or to supplement their participants’ budgets, a novel approach that will help collaborating groups do more with less.
The restaurant’s kitchen will provide a site for employment training and transitional jobs associated with Inspiration Corporation’s award-winning Cafe Too food service training program. Since 2001, 370 homeless and low-income men and women have graduated from Cafe Too with the skills and experience they need to succeed in the food service industry.
The Sustainability Fund will provide an operating reserve to increase Inspiration Corporation’s financial stability and reduce debt-service expenses, allowing the organization to devote more revenue to program delivery. This fund would also allow Inspiration Corporation to respond to opportunities that are vital to the organization’s mission.
“Inspiration Corporation is honored by the Kresge Foundation’s commitment,” said John W. Pfeiffer, Executive Director & CEO of Inspiration Corporation. “This show of support from one of America’s most admired private foundations will give us the momentum to complete the campaign and become a citywide agency serving more homeless Chicagoans.”
The Catalyst Campaign has raised $5.39 million since being launched in February 2009. Lead donors include Leonard C. Goodman, Crown Family Philanthropies, The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, an anonymous donor, Paul and Mary Ann Judy and the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.
The Kresge Foundation is a national, private foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations by creating access and opportunity in underserved communities, improving the health of low-income people, supporting artistic expression, assisting in the revitalization of Detroit, and advancing methods for dealing with global climate change.
Through supportive services, employment and housing programs, Inspiration Corporation assists more than 3,000 individuals and families affected by homelessness and poverty each year – serving as a catalyst for self-reliance. In 2005, the organization launched the Cafe Too social enterprise restaurant and food-service training center in Uptown. For more information, visit www.inspirationcorp.org.
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The challenge requires that Inspiration Corporation raise an additional $610,000 by February 2011 to complete its Catalyst Campaign, through which the organization seeks to raise $6 million to better serve people affected by homelessness and poverty in Chicago.
The Garfield Park Cafe, to open in early 2011, will serve nutritious and affordable meals to the general public. In addition, meal “guest certificates” will be distributed to working poor families through a network of community partners, including social service organizations, schools and religious congregations. Collaborators will use the certificates as incentives, engagement tools or to supplement their participants’ budgets, a novel approach that will help collaborating groups do more with less.
The restaurant’s kitchen will provide a site for employment training and transitional jobs associated with Inspiration Corporation’s award-winning Cafe Too food service training program. Since 2001, 370 homeless and low-income men and women have graduated from Cafe Too with the skills and experience they need to succeed in the food service industry.
The Sustainability Fund will provide an operating reserve to increase Inspiration Corporation’s financial stability and reduce debt-service expenses, allowing the organization to devote more revenue to program delivery. This fund would also allow Inspiration Corporation to respond to opportunities that are vital to the organization’s mission.
“Inspiration Corporation is honored by the Kresge Foundation’s commitment,” said John W. Pfeiffer, Executive Director & CEO of Inspiration Corporation. “This show of support from one of America’s most admired private foundations will give us the momentum to complete the campaign and become a citywide agency serving more homeless Chicagoans.”
The Catalyst Campaign has raised $5.39 million since being launched in February 2009. Lead donors include Leonard C. Goodman, Crown Family Philanthropies, The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, an anonymous donor, Paul and Mary Ann Judy and the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation.
The Kresge Foundation is a national, private foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations by creating access and opportunity in underserved communities, improving the health of low-income people, supporting artistic expression, assisting in the revitalization of Detroit, and advancing methods for dealing with global climate change.
Through supportive services, employment and housing programs, Inspiration Corporation assists more than 3,000 individuals and families affected by homelessness and poverty each year – serving as a catalyst for self-reliance. In 2005, the organization launched the Cafe Too social enterprise restaurant and food-service training center in Uptown. For more information, visit www.inspirationcorp.org.
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Contact
Inspiration Corporation
Diane Pascal
773 878-0981, x204
www.inspirationcorp.org
Diane Pascal
773 878-0981, x204
www.inspirationcorp.org
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