$2.2 Million Granted By Emeril Lagasse Foundation In 2022 - Emeril.org - Emeril.org $2.2 Million Granted By Emeril Lagasse Foundation In 2022 - Emeril.org
Emeril in garden with student children

$2.2 Million Granted By Emeril Lagasse Foundation In 2022

A portion of Funding Supports NOLA Coalition Fundraising Efforts

NEW ORLEANS—In its 20th anniversary year, Emeril Lagasse Foundation awarded $2.2 Million in grants to non-profit organizations that support its mission to inspire, mentor, and enable youth to reach their full potential.

“As we celebrate this milestone, I reflect on the impact we have made since 2002,” said Chef Emeril Lagasse. “I am proud of all that we have accomplished, but it certainly could not have been done without the support of our donors and sponsors. Alden and I look forward to the next 20 years.”

This fall, five local entities, Son of a Saint, Youth Empowerment Project, Reconcile New Orleans, Liberty’s Kitchen and Café Hope  were awarded grants based on the shared mission to support youth through culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development. These grants totaling $365,000, are earmarked to support the NOLA Coalition fundraising efforts. The NOLA Coalition is committed to raising $15 million over three years for investment in youth services.

The Foundation also awarded its first two Cultivator Grants to Partner for Education, Agriculture, and Sustainability (PEAS) and Life Lab to expand the reach of Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen. This national education program integrates culinary gardens and teaching kitchens to create interactive learning environments centered on food. These grants will enable the Foundation to double the impact of its signature program by bringing resources and curriculum to 14 new elementary schools in 2023.

Throughout the year, over 50 grants were made to mission-aligned organizations nationwide including New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (New Orleans, LA), The Ecology Center (San Juan Capistrano), Arc Culinary (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), and Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (Niceville, FL).

About Emeril Lagasse Foundation: Founded in 2002 by Chef Emeril Lagasse and his wife Alden, Emeril Lagasse Foundation is a 501c(3) public charity headquartered in New Orleans. The Foundation’s mission is to create opportunities to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development. Since its inception, Emeril Lagasse Foundation has granted more than $18.5 million to children’s charities to support culinary, nutrition, and arts programs. The Foundation accomplishes this through three programs. The Community Grants program provides program and capital support to nonprofit organizations across the nation. The signature program, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, is a national education initiative created to enrich the lives of elementary and middle school children through a fun, fresh perspective on food. The Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, the newest program, will provide culinary arts education and human services programming for Latino youth. To learn more about the Foundation and its beneficiaries, visit Emeril.org, or follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.