GRETNA – The Jacques Pépin Foundation (JPF) announced Café Hope as one of their Summer 2026 Grant Awardees, awarded this month. One of 10 recipients this round, Café Hope is a Westbank New Orleans-based nonprofit workforce training program that provides opportunity youth with paid, on-the-job restaurant and life skills training designed to lead to sustainable employment. Founded in 2010 and rebuilt after Hurricane Ida, Café Hope now operates a teaching kitchen, restaurant, coffee shop and catering program serving more than 750 participants to date. In addition to the $10,000 grant, Café Hope will receive JPF branded aprons for their students and a group membership to the Foundation.
Founded in 2016 by the Pépin family, the JPF advances Jacques’ lifelong belief that teaching is impactful, that food brings people together, and that culinary education is transformational for personal growth, improved health, and job opportunities. In 2019, the JPF became a grant-making organization, and in the last seven years the Foundation has disbursed over $2M to over 100 different non-profit, community-based, culinary arts training programs that offer life skills and culinary training to individuals with barriers to employment. The JPF mission and vision are rooted firmly in the belief that culinary skills training benefits society.
“The JPF’s mission is realized in part by supporting programs that create opportunities through culinary training, and giving grants to these important, impressive, local organizations,” says Rollie Wesen, executive director of the JPF. “Café Hope exemplifies the JPF’s commitment to expanding access to high-quality culinary education for people who have historically been excluded from opportunity. Café Hope proves that meaningful workforce training transforms lives. We are especially proud to support a program that removes real barriers, like transportation and geography, by serving Westbank young adults where they live, and by offering a hands-on 12-week curriculum across the restaurant, café, and catering options that prepare students for a wide range of culinary careers.”
“Every day, we have the privilege of watching young people discover talents they didn’t know they had and confidence they didn’t think was possible,” says Luis Arocha, executive director of Cafe Hope. “To have that work recognized by the Jacques Pépin Foundation is incredibly meaningful. This grant is more than financial support—it is an investment in our young people and in what’s possible when they’re given opportunity, encouragement, and someone who believes in them.”
In addition to Café Hope, Summer 2026 JPF Grants were awarded to 2Unique Community Salvation Foundation (Memphis, TN), Plant to Plate Internship Program (Richmond, CA), Ybor A Second Chance Kitchen (Lincoln, NE), EntreNous Community Empowerment Impactful Bites Training Program (Compton, CA), New Beginnings ReEntry Services Roxbury (Roxbury, MA), Navigate Foundation (Tucker, GA), Project Healthy Kids Inc (Bridgeport, WV), GAP Ministries (Tucson, AZ), and Café Momentum (Dallas, TX).
Community-based culinary arts training programs are invited to apply to the Jacques Pépin Foundation Grant Program for Community-Based Culinary Arts Training Programs on the website.