Havenly is Restaurant Ready

Havenly, a community café and support organization for refugee women in New Haven, has joined the Restaurant Ready program, a workforce development initiative offered by the National Restaurant Educational Foundation (NRAEF). This partnership will provide refugee women with essential skills and training to secure employment in the restaurant industry.

Foundation Director, Jennifer Conkling-Schmitz, recently visited Havenly's New Haven location to learn more about their work and meet with Co-Foundation and Co-Executive Director Nieda Abbas and Sales Director Dina Tareq. After years of operating in borrowed space, Havenly has finally found a permanent home at 25 Temple Street. The café serves as a learning space, source of income, and organizing network for refugee women.

Restaurant Ready is a comprehensive program that focuses on six key work-readiness competencies defined by the restaurant industry. By participating in this program, Havenly's members will acquire the skills, discipline, and confidence needed to start and maintain a job. Additionally, the program will connect participants with local employers and provide wrap-around services to address any barriers to employment.

This fall, Havenly welcomed another 20 women into their program. We wish them great success and look forward to seeing their progress over the coming months