Inspiration Cafe (IC) is designed to assist individuals who are homeless, unemployed, underemployed, mentally ill, recovering substance abusers and/or socially isolated. Inspiration Cafe's core service is the therapeutic community that occurs during the restaurant-style meals cooked and served by volunteers every day for breakfast and four nights a week during dinner. It is the milieu of successful alumni, who are graduates of IC, and guests at different stages of recovery and self-sufficiency that create the therapeutic community at the Cafe. Providing services in a way that fosters dignity and respect is at the core of Inspiration Cafe's mission.

An individual qualifies for acceptance into Inspiration Cafe's program by obtaining a referral from another social service agency that verifies the following criteria:

• Drug- and alcohol-free for at least 30 days
• No recent history of violence
• A willingness to work toward exiting homelessness by obtaining housing and a source of income

Once guests graduate from Inspiration Cafe by attaining stable housing and a steady income source, they become alumni. Alumni can attend up to 12 meals each month and receive ongoing support by having access to the Cafe's programs, including a Food Pantry exclusively for their use. Monthly newsletters and annual reunions also keep alumni connected to Inspiration Cafe's therapeutic community.

The Cafe can accommodate up to 30 guests at any given time, and it serves approximately 100 people each year. It has an average of 185 active alumni.

Our services are provided by a professional staff and supported by over 450 volunteers. Inspiration Corporation's 15-member board of directors provides leadership and vision for the agency.