The Reconnect Cafe and Apparel Shop is a business that provides hands-on, direct on-the-job training for our youth partners. The Reconnect Cafe, first opened in Bedford Stuyvesant in 2013, was reopened after COVID in 2021 in its new location at Thomas Berry Place in Jamaica, Queens. In our new cafe, we also sell apparel and accessories created in the Reconnect Graphics Shop, which is located on the same premises. Our Cafe is a full-service coffee and beverage shop that offers a range of coffee brew options, all of which are made from our specially-sourced Reconnect gourmet coffee beans.

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The Reconnect Production & Entertainment Space is a creative studio where youth partners learn the art of storytelling through video, audio, and digital media. Equipped with professional tools and mentorship, this space offers hands-on training in video editing, audio engineering, and content creation.

It’s also home to The Reconnecting Podcast, a youth-led platform where participants share their voices, interview changemakers, and build confidence in public speaking and media production. Whether they’re producing a short film, recording music, or editing a podcast episode, youth gain real-world skills and a powerful outlet for self-expression.

More than just a workspace, this studio is a launchpad for young creatives ready to tell their stories and take up space.

The Reconnect Building Maintenance Training Program provides hands-on, on-the-job training for our youth partners, preparing them for sustainable careers in facilities management, repair, and trade work. This program is rooted in real-world experience and consists of three core elements:

• Custodial/Janitorial – Reconnect provides full-suite janitorial services 365 days a year to Immaculate Conception Church, Thomas Berry Place, and the Passionist Monastery. Youth partners learn the standards of professional custodial work, including sanitation, scheduling, and team coordination.

• Building Maintenance & Repair – Youth partners receive training in essential building systems and facility upkeep, including boiler maintenance, fire code compliance, basic electrical repairs, and groundskeeping. This component builds technical confidence and introduces youth to the expectations of maintaining large-scale properties.

• Trade Skills Training – Youth partners also gain exposure to skilled trades, including plumbing, painting, HVAC, and general handyman services. Through shadowing experienced tradespeople and assisting with real repair jobs, participants build practical skills that can lead to union work, apprenticeships, or independent contracting.

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In 2021, responding to local requests after people began to experience the Reconnect organic garden, we began to construct raised beds and garden boxes from cedar and other hard woods. We use galvanized, weatherproof hardware and fixtures, and provide customized color painted and stained finishes, as well as natural wood. Our boxes are built in our fully-supplied woodworking shop, and we train Reconnect Youth Partners to help us build the boxes as part of the enterprise.

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In 2021, Reconnect began the first phase of the Horticulture and Sustainable Agriculture Initiative. This began with the building of twenty four 8’x4’ raised garden beds on the southwest side of the campus. The garden features a wide variety of organic, freshly grown vegetables. In its second season, the initiative has partnered closely with Reconnect Culinary Services in order to incorporate fresh produce from the garden into the ongoing menu of offerings during the growing season.

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