Change Can Come from Coffee

The mission of our service project is to strive to aid people who are victims of socioeconomic circumstances over which they have limited control by providing relief in a welcoming environment, showing that we will put forth the effort to struggle with them. To accomplish this goal, we chose to donate our time and volunteer at Inspiration Cafe.

The cafe is located in Uptown on Chicago's north side. It was founded in 1989 by Lisa Nigro, a Chicago policewoman. This program was her personal response to the homelessness she encountered in Uptown.

Inspiration Cafe is a restaurant-style setting that serves meals and "provides supportive services in a therapeutic community designed to help individuals on their journey through self-sufficiency" (From the Inspiration Corporation website: inspirationcorp.org).

We were struck by the fact that the goals of Inspiration Cafe were very similar to our own. This organization strives to “help men and women overcome the causes of their homelessness and find stability by securing income and affordable housing.”

On February 1, 2010, eight of us students woke up early to volunteer at Inspiration Cafe before school. We served food to the participants who came in for the duration of breakfast. Not only did we assist in providing a meal, but we also interacted with the participants, as well as the other volunteers, of the program.

Overall, the experience was very humbling and gratifying. It opened our eyes to the socioeconomic hardships faced by other people.

We would enjoy going back to Inspiration Cafe again. From our experiences, we have learned that every minute we spend there is worthwhile.

To contact Inspiration Cafe (773)-878-0981