- Title: New Orleans nonprofit helps restaurant workers navigate pandemic unemployment
- Date: 9th April 2020
- Summary: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES (APRIL 9, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAFE RECONCILE NONPROFIT EMPLOYEE COOKING FREE MEALS FOR PAST TRAINEES NOW OUT OF WORK VARIOUS OF WORKER DELIVERING MEALS TO PAST TRAINEE NOW OUT OF WORK VARIOUS OF PAST TRAINEE TALKING TO SOCIAL WORKER, KENDRA PARSON, GETTING MEAL AND WALKING AWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAFE RECONCILE SOCIAL WORKER, KENDRA PARSON, SAYING: "I helped a young man yesterday. He was just like, 'you know I was making $1,500 a week and I'm about to get $200 a week in unemployment. Like, how am I supposed to take care of my family?' And I think that is the bigger fear with mental health to just like 'I've always been able to provide'." VARIOUS OF PAST TRAINEE GETTING MEALS AND TALKING TO PARSON AND STAFF (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAFE RECONCILE SOCIAL WORKER, KENDRA PARSON, SAYING: "We are working through those emotions of just, one, not having enough, two, guilt, right? And three, a little bit of embarrassment just trying to figure it out." VARIOUS OF CAFE WORKERS MAKING TAKE OUT MEALS CAFE RECONCILE MENTAL HEALTH MANAGER, ONASSIS JONES, TAKING PHOTO TO POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR PAST TRAINEES TO SEE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAFE RECONCILE MENTAL HEALTH MANAGER, ONASSIS JONES, SAYING: "Our young people today were Katrina kids. And so now they're adults and dealing with their first major crisis as an adult, and so it really has impacted the way they're thinking, their emotions. A lot of them are experiencing high anxiety, not so much a depression, but they really are worried about how they're going to make ends meet. They are communicating with their employers and they're stating that if this particular epidemic stays for, lasts for another 90 days, they may have to reapply for their jos. So, they have a lot of thoughts and anxiety dealing with this." VARIOUS OF CAFE RECONCILE EMPLOYEES PACKING MEALS TO BE DELIVERED TO FOOD BANK (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAFE RECONCILE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GERALD DUHON, SAYING: "We average about 550 alumni touches in a year, and since the middle of March, we're now well over 750. So the demand has been incredible, our ability to connect with people has been incredible and a little bit of help with them to try to get through this crisis." VARIOUS OF CAFE RECONCILE EMPLOYEES PACKING MEALS TO BE DELIVERED TO FOOD BANK (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAFE RECONCILE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GERALD DUHON, SAYING: "My concern about Reconcile and about other nonprofits is that real problem for us will come six months, eight months, 12 months, maybe even more, as, if there is a recession or if people are less generous because of what their stock market portfolio may look like. I worry about what our end-of-the-year giving will look like, what our budget in 2021 will look like. So yes it's important to support Reconcile and other nonprofits now, but it's also important to be as consistent as people can going forward." VARIOUS OF CAFE RECONCILE EMPLOYEES PACKING MEALS TO BE DELIVERED TO FOOD BANK VARIOUS OF CAFE RECONCILE EXTERIOR
- Embargoed: 23rd April 2020 22:30
- Keywords: COVID-19 Cafe Reconcile Drew Brees donations foodbank unemployment
- Location: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001C8RV1HJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:In New Orleans' Central City neighborhood, Cafe Reconcile is packing up thousands of meals - some for a local food bank, and others for restaurant workers who have been laid off in the wake of the coronavirus.
The nonprofit has trained more than 1,800 people over the last 18 years to work in New Orleans restaurants and other industries - and now many of them are out of work and looking for help.
"We average about 550 alumni touches in a year, and since the middle of March, we're now well over 750. So the demand has been incredible, our ability to connect with people has been incredible and a little bit of help with them to try to get through this crisis," Gerald Duhon, the executive director of Cafe Reconcile told Reuters on Thursday (April 9).
Duhon said the cafe has completely revamped its work - closing its restaurant where trainees worked and instead seeking out and filling contracts with the local foodbank to provide meals to New Orleans needy and packing lunches for National Guard members working in the city.
The nonprofit is also welcoming back its trainee alumni who need help navigating unemployment and emergency food benefit enrollment, immediate monetary assistance, mental health help and job placement.
"I helped a young man yesterday. He was just like, 'you know I was making $1,500 a week and I'm about to get $200 a week in unemployment. Like, how am I supposed to take care of my family?' And I think that is the bigger fear with mental health to just like 'I've always been able to provide'," social worker Kendra Parson said.
At least 200 of the program's alumni have been let go since the novel coronavirus caused business owners to shut down or severely limit services to customers.
Duhon said the nonprofit remains afloat for now - providing services and keeping its employees - but he worries about the future "if there is a recession or if people are less generous because of what their stock market portfolio may look like."
"I worry about what our end-of-the-year giving will look like, what our budget in 2021 will look like. So yes it's important to support Reconcile and other nonprofits now, but it's also important to be as consistent as people can going forward."
(Production: Catherine Koppel, Carlos Barria) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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