Reconcile New Orleans/Café Reconcile

Reconcile New Orleans, an integral part of this community's revitalization and recovery, is a nonprofit organization providing at-risk youth with opportunities to learn life, interpersonal, and work skills for success. Since the program's launch in 2000, Reconcile has graduated nearly 400 youth between the ages of 16 and 22. The culinary training project utilizes a nonprofit restaurant, Café Reconcile, as a training, mentoring, and independent skill-buliding site to provide support, experience, and ability enhancement in the hospitality industry. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Reconcile implemented a construction program utilizing the same hands-on mentoring model to train youth while at the same time building affordable housing units in the community. With the late Fr. Harry Tompson, SJ, co-founders Tim Falcon and Craig Cuccia believe that all people are called to be part of the solution by encouraging self-sufficiency and providing viable opportunities for those who might otherwise find themselves on inhumane and destructive paths. Visit their website.

The Companions Program at Canisius High School offers the student an opportunity to respond to the Ignatian call to service. He is invited to grow in self-knowledge through an experience of service to and solidarity with the marginalized. A personal encounter with communities and individuals bearing the weight of poverty, weakness, and financial dependence challenges a young man to understand these conditions while acknowledging the poverty implicit in his own weaknesses, shortcomings, and dependence. Likewise, the companionship of this encounter affirms the goodness and potential implicit in his strengths. Drawing upon four central components of community, spirituality, justice, and simple living, Companions engages the Gospel message while challenging the student to embrace struggle and discomfort in an unfamiliar context. The program seeks to foster an ongoing desire to serve the needs of the other, coupled with a lifelong commitment to justice.

Program sites include New Jersey and Appalachia.

Creighton at Bryant Resource Center serves the city's African American community through support for small business. The Center also provides computer and web access to individuals.   In partnership with other organizations, the Center provides Introductory and Advanced IT training for individuals residing in Omaha’s near north side. 676 people completed at least one IT class through the center over a two year period. 59% of the students were women, 82% were African American. More than 60 adults completed an entrepreneurial 12-week training course, and 50% of these adults went on to open a small business.

Hollywood Interfaith Sponsoring Committee, a community organization in the PICO network (www.piconetwork.org) which facilitates empowerment activities, leadership training and community organizing in conjunction with Sacred Heart Parish.

Started in 1996, Homeboy Silkscreen & Embroidery is currently the largest division of Homeboy Industries, employing at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth, giving them job skills and a living wage to assist them to become positive, contributing members of society.

 For over 30 years, Georgetown students have provided tutoring for children in the Sursum Corda housing community in Northwest Washington, D.C. More than 40 Georgetown students tutor at Sursum Corda four nights a week.

REACHING OUT... The Outreach programs at the Thensted Center provide essentials like food and clothing to the economically disadvantaged. All recipients are screened carefully to assess eligibility. Programs include:

• Emergency Food Pantry
• Home Visits to elderly and shut-ins to assess needs,
• Thrift Store for clothing, furniture, and household items,
• Christmas Baskets containing food, toiletries, and household items.

BUILDING UP... Helping others to learn how to actualize their true potential is a key component of the Thensted Center mission. These programs, designed to build better lives, are geared toward both children and adults. They include:

• After School Tutorial for grades Kindergarten through 12
• The Summer Enrichment Program for children ages 6-17 offering academic and cultural recreational activities
• Counseling Services that provide sessions for individuals, families, and groups
• Empowering Seniors that includes bi-monthly education in spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and intellectual areas.

ENRICHING THE FUTURE... A community is only as strong as its people. By empowering the citizens of southern St. Landry parish, the Thensted Center helps dreams come true and helps our communities prosper. Educational Programs designed to assist in personal discovery include:

• Sub Bank and Budgeting teaches money management
• Career Education Program (CEP) helps high school students learn first-hand about career possibilities with on-the-job training.