Liberty's Kitchen is a non-profit organization, located in the Mid-City New Orleans Neighborhood. Liberty's Kitchen opened its doors in April 2009 after a generous grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. This nonprofit cafe doubles as a training program for teens and young adults who want to change the course of their lives. Liberty's Kitchen provides their students with marketable job skills and experience, and allows them to learn the culinary techniques behind cooking from scratch.
History
Liberty’s Kitchen began operations in April 2009 as a social entrepreneurship supporting its sustainability with teaching-focused businesses. Liberty's Kitchen took its first trainees in the Youth Development Program in July 2009 and have since graduated and placed several young people into employment or higher education. Since launching the training program, over 400 participant applications have been submitted. Liberty’s Kitchen expanded in 2014 with its move to the ReFresh Project at 300 North Broad Street. With the benefit of a new 10,000 square foot facility in the ReFresh Project, Liberty’s Kitchen is poised to significantly scale its efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable New Orleans youth. The ReFresh expansion offers both the internal capacity and the community collaborations to dramatically increase the number of youth empowered to create healthy futures. In 2015, Liberty's Kitchen re-opened the Green Dot Cafe within the Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center offering paninis, smoothies, coffee, and assorted snacks.
Mission
Liberty's Kitchen seeks young people who demonstrate positive traits, such as leadership or willingness to change, that could help them progress in the Youth Development Program. The objective is to graduate students with a sense of purpose and confidence and the skills and tools to succeed in gainful employment by providing a path to self-sufficiency through food service-based training, leadership, education, and life skills programs.
Accomplishments
To complete its mission, Liberty's Kitchen has received donations and support from some of the nation’s largest foundations – the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Baptist Community Ministries, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, and the Goldring Foundation.
In August 2010, Liberty’s Kitchen initiated the Healthy School Lunch Program providing freshly prepared nutritious meals to New Orleans’ public schoolchildren on a daily basis. Liberty’s Kitchen won the bid and contract for Food Service Management at New Orleans College Prep Charter School to serve over 600 students breakfast, lunch and snack daily.
Partners
Liberty's Kitchen has partnered with many organizations in the New Orleans area, including:
