The Crescent City Cafe, sponsored by Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church, has been awarded a Support Action Ministries (S.A.M.) grant by the Louisiana chapter of the United Methodist Church. The grant will provide the Cafe with $2,000 in 2010 to help offset operational costs.
The S.A.M. grant is provided to organizations that reach out to the community in ministry in innovative ways. The Cafe is extremely grateful for Rayne Memorial’s sponsorship in the grant process. We look forward to our continued partnership!
More than 1,000 meals have been served at the Crescent City Cafe in just over a year, a milestone that was achieved on Saturday, March 6. The Crescent City Cafe provides breakfast to people who are homeless or low-income in New Orleans and served 116 meals on March 6, the highest one-day total at its location at Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church.
After eating his meal, one guest told volunteers that the breakfast “made him feel valued and human again.” Other guests hugged volunteers and said how special the morning had been for them. Two other guests said they appreciated their experience so much that they wanted to stay afterward to clean up.
The specials of the day were sausage and cheese breakfast tacos with pico de gallo, or a ham and swiss quiche. Both specials were served with cheese grits and fresh cantaloupe.
The Cafe was founded in February 2009 and hosted three events in a temporary location before moving to Rayne in August 2009. The next cafe will be held on Saturday, April 10, 2010.
Many people have responded to our wishlist and provided items needed to serve or cook breakfast. The Crescent City Cafe extends its gratitude to:
- G.A. Lotz Culinary Equipment and Supplies for donating two, 14″ Teflon frying pans and silverware
- Traci Taylor for donating brand-new silverware
- Melissa Nance for providing use of a Sam’s Club membership to purchase food
- St. Martin’s Episcopal School for on-going donations of jelly packets
We have served 902 warm breakfasts to people who are homeless and low-income since our first cafe in February 2009. For the Crescent City Cafe on Saturday, March 6, we want to serve at least 98 people and reach our 1,000th breakfast in just over a year!
Please help us spread the word by passing out flyers at local agencies. Project Leader Kim Thompson has flyers and a list of agencies. Contact her if you will take flyers to an agency next week, or download a Flyer for Saturday, March 6.
Spirits were high at the Crescent City Cafe on Saturday, Feb. 6. It was the day before the Super Bowl - the Saints’ team was making its first appearance in the big game - and Carnival season was in full swing!
Nearly 75 people walked, rode bikes or took the streetcar to make it to breakfast on this chilly February morning, but no one was thinking about the weather. Volunteers cheerfully talked and served guests, and guests cheerfully ate warm, delicious meals. The plates were filled full with scrambled, eggs, bacon, toast and more!
Young adults came out in force to help serve breakfast to those who are homeless in our city. Nearly 30 volunteers served as hosts, waiters, cooks and more to make the Crescent City Cafe a success!
If you are a young adult in New Orleans, please volunteer with us in the future. We can use your help publicizing the event, prepping food or working the cafe. Contact Volunteer Coordinator Georgia McBride and please tell her how you’d like to be involved.
The Crescent City Cafe will run as scheduled this Saturday, Feb. 6, before the parades roll past! The doors will be open to our guests from 8-9:30 a.m. Come for hot breakfast and great conversation!
Please help us spread the word by printing our flyer and passing it around. Flyer for Crescent City Cafe 2-6-10.
If you are a young adult and would like to help out, we have a few spots available. Please e-mail Georgia McBride with your interest.
Many guests of the Crescent City Cafe come on foot, walking nearly two miles from the Central Business District to eat breakfast with us. On Saturday, they made that walk in below-freezing temperatures, a feat as New Orleans experiences uncommonly cold winter weather.
The count for breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 9, reached 71 people before volunteers sat down to eat with guests. The menu, coordinated by team leaders Laura Rockett and Tori Paddock, was an option of a corned beef and hash biscuit casserole with grits and scrambled eggs, or pancakes, eggs and sausage with grits on the side.
Twenty-two people volunteered their time to serve and talk with guests. If you are a young adult who lives in New Orleans and would like to volunteer on Saturday, Feb. 6, please e-mail Georgia McBride.
The editorial board of the Times Picayune gives praise or criticism for stories from the past week in its Sunday “Jazz and Razz” column. The Crescent City Cafe was given a nod in the “Jazz” column on Sunday, Dec. 13, after reporter Katy Reckdahl wrote a story about the cafe. Read the short article.
Reporter Katy Reckdahl and photographer Chris Granger covered the Crescent City Cafe on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. Their story and photos are featured in the Metro section of Monday’s Times Picayune and the Metro New Orleans Religion and Faith section of www.nola.com.
“Barbara Jacques, 74, is not homeless. But she’s hungry sometimes. Her only income is a modest Social Security check that doesn’t stretch as far as she wishes.
So on Saturday, Jacques was one of 92 people drawn to the hot breakfast offered at the monthly ‘Crescent City Cafe.’
The program is run by volunteers in their 20s and 30s at Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church on St. Charles Avenue.”
Read the rest of the story on nola.com.
The Crescent City Cafe served warm breakfast, fresh orange juice and hot coffee to 92 people who are homeless or low-income on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. It was a chilly morning, so we opened the doors early to allow our guests relief from the cold. They sat and chatted while volunteers served coffee and continued preparing food for the morning.
Our guests were given a choice between two plates, the first being ham and scrambled eggs. The second was a potato, sausage and egg casserole, and both had optional cheese grits, biscuits and fresh oranges. Our volunteer cooks received rave reviews!
Many thanks to all the volunteers, who came from Loyola’s MBA and Law programs, the NPNO group at Shell Corp. and other churches and organizations. Times Picayune reporter Katy Reckdahl and photographer Chris Granger covered the Crescent City Cafe and published an article and photos on the front page of the Metro section on Monday, Dec. 7.
