INSPIRATION CORPORATION
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Mission Statement
In an atmosphere of dignity and respect, Inspiration Corporation helps people who are affected by homelessness and poverty to improve their lives and increase self-sufficiency through the provision of social services, employment training and placement, and housing.
About This Cause
When Lisa Nigro founded Inspiration Cafe in 1989, she borrowed her nephew's red wagon and filled it with coffee and sandwiches. A former police officer, Lisa pulled that wagon around the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago offering a little dignity and respect to the people she encountered. Over time, Lisa and other early supporters grew the Cafe beyond that red wagon, first turning a van into a kitchen on wheels and then converting a bus into a travelling cafe. Lisa's idea, to cook and serve good food with a dash of hope, captured the attention of the Uptown neighborhood and the Chicago media. She soon received a phone call from an Uptown building owner, offering her a six-month lease on a Wilson Avenue storefront for $1. The Cafe moved into the new space and became a restaurant for the homeless, where men and women could sit down, order off a menu and be served. In the years that followed, Inspiration Cafe expanded its services beyond simply meals, to include case management, supportive services, housing, and our food skills training program Inspiration Kitchens. In 1998, Inspiration Cafe moved to the site at 4554 N Broadway, which remains our organization's headquarters, and in 2001 the agency received its first government grant for subsidized housing, with eight units of scattered site supportive housing on the north side. The Housing Services program has grown steadily and today offers more than 159 rent subsidies for families and individuals who also receive wraparound supportive services to help them increase the income, overcome their barriers, and increase self-sufficiency. In 2005, Inspiration Corporation celebrated the opening of the Inspiration Kitchens (formerly Cafe Too) restaurant and training center. At Inspiration Kitchens, culinary students could hone their skills in a real restaurant and enter the workforce with the experience and confidence needed to succeed. With Inspiration Kitchens, we focus on two of our core values – great food and a commitment to improving lives. In 2007, Inspiration Corporation started Career Connections, an initiative that helps participants access education and vocational training in order to become employed and exit poverty. In 2011, Inspiration Corporation made another leap forward, opening Inspiration Kitchens – Garfield Park, a second site for our Foodservice Training program and our social enterprise restaurant. Inspiration Kitchens – Garfield Park includes capacity for large-scale catering and is piloting many best practices. Located about one block from the Garfield Park Conservatory, this model property includes a sustainable garden and many other green elements, such as solar-heated hot water, smart range hoods and lighting, recycled materials, and bike racks. Inspiration Corporation purchased an eight-unit apartment building in 2012 to provide four units of affordable housing and four units of subsidized housing to large families in Washington Park. Today, Inspiration Corporation has grown to serve 2,500 individuals a year by providing meals, supportive services, housing, and employment preparation and vocational training – serving as a catalyst for self-reliance.