Br. Martin J. Fragala, CFC, received the Homines Pro Aliis Award for 2008 from the New Orleans Province of the Society of Jesus on Sunday, June 8, 2008. The Homines Pro Aliis (“People for Others”) Award honors people who have demonstrated their faith in these traits: leaders in service, volunteer work, selflessness, care for others and lived Christian values. Br. Fragala was nominated by Cafe Reconcile in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Housed in a 5-story, 12,000 square foot building reclaimed in the economically distressed Central City neighborhood of New Orleans, the work of Reconcile New Orleans is to provide at-risk youth an opportunity to learn life and interpersonal skills and operational training for successful entry into the hospitality and restaurant industries; to provide services to address unmet neighborhood needs ( such as literacy instruction) until such time as other local organizations can enter the area.
Reconcile New Orleans Youth Workforce training program has successfully enrolled over 250 youth between the ages of 16 and 25 to learn basic life skills , interpersonal skills and work skills to enable and empower them to successfully enter the second -largest non-governmental workforce in New Orleans- the entertainment and hospitality industry.
Br. Fragala has been a full time volunteer at Cafe Reconcile working with young people each weekday. Brother will celebrate his 48th year as a Christian Brother on July 5, 2008.
The Christian Brothers Community in New Orleans is located at 4219 Constance Street, New Orleans, LA. 70115
Congratulations to Brother Martin on this award. It is good to see good people acknowledged. This work is pioneering and a wonderful expression of the Edmund Rice commitment to education. Well done to the Christian Brothers in New Orleans. I look forward to hearing more about this initiative.