FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2023
Media Contact: Elizabeth Smith // esmith@libertyskitchen.org // 504.304.2316
Liberty’s Kitchen awarded W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grant
Two-year, $400,000 grant will expand youth outreach in New Orleans
New Orleans, LA – Liberty’s Kitchen expands impact with a 2-year, $400,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The grant comes at a pivotal time as Liberty’s Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that provides professional and personalized workforce training to New Orleans youth, celebrates its 15th anniversary and launches a 3-year strategic plan. During this era of growth, Liberty’s Kitchen will utilize funds to jumpstart strategic initiatives, including re-opening the Liberty’s Kitchen Café located at 300 N Broad, strengthening programming and alumni support, expanding staff capacity, and engaging the community. Drawing on its 15-year legacy as agents of change for under-resourced youth, Liberty’s Kitchen is poised to maximize the impact of this grant and make an even greater difference in the lives of young people. “We are grateful for W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s continued partnership and support of youth in our city. As Liberty’s Kitchen marks this milestone anniversary, the investment from the Foundation ensures we are well-equipped to meet the future by deepening our workforce readiness training and strengthening support services for youth trainees.” says Bernadette Lucas, Executive Director of Liberty’s Kitchen. Founded in 2008, Liberty’s Kitchen remains committed to providing New Orleans youth aged 16-24 with pathways towards success. This is achieved through culinary and hospitality training, broader career readiness skill building, and essential support to overcome employment barriers such as housing, transportation, and mental health challenges. With enrollment capacity expanding, young people who are not currently in work or school can sign up for Liberty’s Kitchen’s Youth Development Program, a 10-week paid workforce training intensive, by texting “Level Up” to (504) 315-7019.
The Café, located at 300 N Broad Street, is slated to re-open in the summer of this year.
Additionally, the community is invited to Liberty’s Kitchen’s 15th Anniversary Lunchtime Bash: A Taste of Nostalgia at the Broad Street Café on May 2nd anytime from 11 am – 1 pm.
For more information about Liberty’s Kitchen and its programs, visit: www.libertyskitchen.org. Follow Liberty’s Kitchen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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About Liberty’s Kitchen Liberty’s Kitchen provides New Orleans youth with the skillset to achieve their vision of success through professional and personalized training. Founded in 2008, Liberty’s Kitchen has served over 1,000 young adults since the inception of its Youth Development Program. In its 15-year existence, Liberty’s Kitchen has deepened its impact to include leadership development for alumni and work with employers to sustain long-term career pathways.
About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work, and life.
The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.
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