The Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley Awards $4,000

ONARGA, Ill. – Onarga Academy is pleased to announce that the Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley has awarded $4,000 to Onarga Academy for the Cornerstone Café & Gallery’s kitchen development.

“We here at the Café are overwhelmed and extremely humbled at the reception of our vision for our commercial kitchen,” said Debra Foulks, Vocational Business Specialist and Café Manager. “We have found friends we didn’t know were on our path, such as the Community Foundation. As we inch closer to our goal we become more energized and excited about all the opportunities that await our boys and how this will empower them toward a successful life once they leave our campus.” The Café is on its way to building a commercial-grade kitchen to further develop our youth’s culinary skills, and allowing the Café to serve lunches to the community.

The Café has proven to provide job training, social skills and workplace skills that will benefit our youth beyond treatment. The Café, which does not have a kitchen, has focused on serving handcrafted lattes, smoothies, and other specialty drinks, along with pre-made pastries.

The Cornerstone Café has grown to the point that, in order to best serve our employees and the community, we must expand to include a kitchen. The expansion will allow the Café to stay open later, serve lunch items in addition to the current menu, employ more youth, and provide more opportunities for skill development for the youth.   (info submitted)

94.1 WGFA