About Lisa Nigro:
A former Chicago police officer, Nigro, founded the Inspiration Café in 1989 with a mission to lead homeless men and women towards self-sufficiency. The café began as a place where the homeless could sit down, order off a menu and be served. In the years that followed, Inspiration Café expanded its services beyond meals, to include case management, supportive services, housing and a restaurant skills training program.
In 2003, Inspiration Café joined together with The Living Room Café, an organization that offers meals and supportive services to the Woodlawn community on Chicago's South Side, to become the Inspiration Corporation. Two years later, Inspiration Corporation merged with another Chicago organization, Employment Project, to create an organization that also provides holistic services to serve the needs of its guests.
Today, the Inspiration Corporation has grown to serve 2,500 individuals a year by providing meals, supportive services, housing, employment preparation and vocational training.
Located in Chicago, Inspiration Corporation inspires change and enriches its community by providing people who are affected by homelessness and poverty with essential social services, employment training and housing. In an atmosphere of dignity and respect, its goal is to create choices and enable our participants to lead happier and more fulfilling lives. Key programs include Inspiration Cafe, The Living Room Cafe, Cafe Too culinary skills training program, and The Employment Project.
To support Inspiration Corporation, learn more, or attend its One Inspired Evening event on Friday, March 13, visit http://www.inspirationcorp.org.
Don't forget to watch the Academy Awards on ABC7 this Sunday, Feb. 22, beginning with red carpet arrivals at 3:30 p.m.
