Today the annual Presidential Citizen's Medals were awarded. The list of winners was comprised of the usual assortment of heroes—people who stand head and shoulders above their fellow human beings in terms of their selflessness, generosity, and compassion.
All are deserving of commendation and our thanks, but I would like
to direct a heartfelt thank you to one award recipient in particular. That individual is Lisa Nigro, of Chicago. Her acts of caring and mercy strike a responsive chord in someone who spends his days writing about restaurants.
Lisa Nigro is a restaurateur but not the garden variety. As far as I know she doesn't possess any professional cooking credentials. Then again, she doesn't run any ordinary restaurant.
Lisa's involvement, such as it is, in the Chicago restaurant scene began in 1989, which is when she opened Inspiration Café. In the years prior, she had served another noble calling, as a member of the city's police force. It was in this capacity that Lisa began searching for a way to reach out to the homeless population she encountered in Uptown Chicago. Initially she loaded up a red wagon with sandwiches and coffee to hand out to the people living on the streets.
As tends to be the case when an entrepreneurial spirit discovers a a previously untapped but hungry market, the demand for Lisa's services soon outpaced the supply of just a red wagon. Enter Inspiration Café. The café serves restaurant-style meals to needy citizens. But it is more than just a haven against the cold or a hot meal. Inspiration also provides case management, support groups, life-skills training, financial assistance, and other services geared to assisting homeless men and women get in touch with their dignity and self-respect.
In the old proverb, we are reminded that teaching a man to fish yields more durable benefits that merely feeding him for a single day. As both teacher and feeder, Lisa Nigro is that rare example of a person who has both ends of the proverb covered. May her tribe increase.
Click Subscribe at the top of the page to have my articles sent directly to your e-mail inbox. Follow me on Twitter or join me at Facebook. You can also reach me at howard.portnoy@gmail.com or by posting a comment below.
Comments
Howard what kind words! Thank you! It was a day to remember and to be surrounded by such intense uplifting energy was a blessing. Anytime you are in Chicago and you want to wait on some tables or cook a meal let us know.
In the meantime..thanks for teaching us all kinds of things about restaurants along with all the ins and outs through your writing!
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!