With COVID-19 still hurting dozens of neighborhoods and communities throughout the city of New Orleans, we still need to look to shining examples of businesses helping us pull through this pandemic. From free meals to low-income families, empowering youth through employment readiness, or by providing housing to better empower families, these programs and businesses are working to make NOLA a better place every day.
We felt like giving some of these programs a spotlight would be a great way to help spread the word of local shops whose proceeds benefit the community. We have highlighted 7 programs doing just that. Dive in below, and see how you can help get involved today!
Youth Empowerment Project
YEP Works provides youth, ages 16-24, with paid employment readiness training, life skills, and career exploration. Through this program, young people earn an educational stipend while gaining real-world experience. YEP currently offers two real-world programs for those involved: a bicycle and a thrift store.
Thrift Works is youth-run clothing, furniture, and household thrift store. Young people gain real-world customer service, point of sale, and inventory management experience in a vibrant retail environment. Current Hours: Wednesday-Friday 12-5 PM.
Bike Works is a full-service, youth-run bicycle repair shop. Young people learn to build, diagnose, and fix both customer-owned and donated bicycles. Students learn the basics of customer service as well as bicycle maintenance. Current Hours: Monday-Wednesday 10 am-2 pm
Cafe Reconcile
Reconcile New Orleans transforms the lives of young adults (ages 16-24) and the community through the ministry of reconciliation. By encouraging personal growth, providing workforce development and training, promoting entrepreneurship, working with businesses, nonprofits, and people of faith to support this transformation, and building strong communities through community economic development. The program has over 2,000 graduates to date.
During COIVD, Cafe Reconcile has donated over well over 45,000 meals to our community.
You can donate or see more about their work HERE!
Goods That Matter
Goods that Matter creates everyday design goods, with extraordinary impact. Every Matter product is handmade in the U.S., of eco-friendly materials, & gives back to social and environmental causes.
10% of all proceeds flow to causes that impact the health, happiness, and sustainability of our communities both locally and for our neighbors around the world. Goods That Matter has donated $43,632 to date.
Help donate to environmental causes by shopping with Goods That Matter HERE!
ReStore – New Orleans Habitat for Humanity
ReStore New Orleans works to build homes in partnership with sponsors, volunteers, communities, and homeowner families. This program empowers families to transform their own lives and to eliminate substandard housing in the New Orleans area while serving as a catalyst to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
Be apart of ReStore today. Donate or volunteer your time by visiting their website here!
Bridge House Thrift Store
Bridge House / Grace House is a 24-hour, 7 day a week, a residential treatment facility that provides no-cost substance-use disorder treatment to men and women in two separate locations.
In May the Bridge House opened their first thrift store(s). The stores are located in NOLA and Jefferson Parish. These stories provide residents with alternatives to high-cost new goods. Those interested in donating any household good should arrange a pickup should fill out the form on this page, or call 504-525-3130 from 8 AM to 3 PM Tuesday through Saturday. You can see both locations address below.
4243 Earhart Blvd. 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Monday through Saturday | 504-821-2479
7901 Airline Drive in Metairie,
in the M. A. Green Shopping Center | 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Monday through Saturday | 504-737-4752