NEW ORLEANS — The Link Stryjewski Foundation has announced that it will donate $100,000 to Son of a Saint, the local nonprofit that supports and provides mentorship to young men without fathers. The three-year financial commitment will help build the Link Stryjewski Foundation Dining Room in the Ochsner Health Son of a Saint Bivian Lee Jr. Center set to open in spring 2022. The facility will serve as Son of a Saint’s permanent headquarters.
“We are pleased to be able to make this ongoing commitment to Son of a Saint,” said Chef Donald Link. “Since the inception of the foundation we have proudly contributed over $700,000 to various nonprofits throughout our community to help end the cycle of poverty and violence. The young men that come out of this program are the future of our city, and we are honored to be a part of the solution.”
“Our commitment to local nonprofit organizations has stayed strong over the past two years, while many faced disrupted regular fundraising cycles caused by the pandemic,” said Chef Stephen Stryjewski. “In 2021, we were able to contribute $100,000 in support of these organizations. We look forward to renewing our commitments and bringing more events back to the public.”
The Link Stryjewski Foundation Dining Room will be a space where Son of a Saint’s mentees gather not only for bonding time over freshly prepared meals, but also for culinary education, cooking classes, chef demonstrations, and more.
“The Link Stryjewski Foundation has been a valuable partner to Son of a Saint for many years. This level of support allows us to strengthen our efforts and deliver on our mission without sacrificing the quality of work and the family-like feel that is so crucial to our organization’s effectiveness,” said Sonny Lee, Son of a Saint founder and CEO. “This donation will further support our mentees; our new facility will enhance and increase the consistency of our critical programs. It will directly foster the positive environment needed to serve our young men and provide countless experiences for the entire Son of a Saint network in the years to come.”
Son of a Saint exists to transform the lives of fatherless boys through mentorship, emotional support, development of life skills, exposure to constructive experiences, and formation of positive, lasting peer-to-peer relationships. The organization equips the boys it serves with the tools they need to become productive men. Additionally, Son of a Saint facilitates educational, recreational, and experiential programming and mental health services.
The Link Stryjewski Dinner Series will resume in 2022 and plans for Bal Masque 2023 are currently underway.
