I’ve been interning with the amazing Spears Group for almost two months now and besides all of the outstanding experience I’m gaining and the new networking opportunities I’ve been exposed to one of the most exciting and interesting moments of my internship thus far was on Thursday, February 26, 2015.
My supervisor is apart of the planning committee for the New Orleans chapter of the Public Relation Society of America and took me to their monthly luncheon at Café Reconcile. I’ve been to one PRSA luncheon before however there was definitely something special about this one, and that was the location. Café Reconcile was established in program called Reconcile New Orleans in 2000 by Rev. Harry Tompson, S.J., and members of his then congregation Craig Cuccia and Tim Falcon, in efforts to “to address the system of neglect, violence, and generational poverty that had plagued out-of-school youth in New Orleans’ troubled Central City neighborhood.”
This program is tailored for African American youth and provides many with a very necessary second chance. Some of these youths face extreme poverty, homelessness, violence, or are even apart of the juvenile justice system and according to Christine Bordelon “ an essential change made was requiring participants to get their GED while enrolled if they don’t already have it.” Not only is the food amazing but so is the service. Interacting with youth that weren’t much younger than me but were facing such adversities and taking steps to succeed beyond them was a humbling experience to say the least. Although New Orleans is a city known for it's rich culture and diversity it is also plagued by violence similar to most cities today, this program aims to make a difference in this city and remove the stigma that this city when it pertains to African American youth.
My supervisor is apart of the planning committee for the New Orleans chapter of the Public Relation Society of America and took me to their monthly luncheon at Café Reconcile. I’ve been to one PRSA luncheon before however there was definitely something special about this one, and that was the location. Café Reconcile was established in program called Reconcile New Orleans in 2000 by Rev. Harry Tompson, S.J., and members of his then congregation Craig Cuccia and Tim Falcon, in efforts to “to address the system of neglect, violence, and generational poverty that had plagued out-of-school youth in New Orleans’ troubled Central City neighborhood.”
This program is tailored for African American youth and provides many with a very necessary second chance. Some of these youths face extreme poverty, homelessness, violence, or are even apart of the juvenile justice system and according to Christine Bordelon “ an essential change made was requiring participants to get their GED while enrolled if they don’t already have it.” Not only is the food amazing but so is the service. Interacting with youth that weren’t much younger than me but were facing such adversities and taking steps to succeed beyond them was a humbling experience to say the least. Although New Orleans is a city known for it's rich culture and diversity it is also plagued by violence similar to most cities today, this program aims to make a difference in this city and remove the stigma that this city when it pertains to African American youth.