Nicotra Foundation Presents A Total Of $34,434 In Awards And Scholarships

Philanthropists Richard and Lois Nicotra gathered with 34 of The Lois & Richard Nicotra Foundation grant recipients at their Bloomfield social enterprise eatery, the COMMONS café, on October 18, 2017, to present a total of $34,434 in awards and scholarships; 100% of the profits from the COMMONS café contribute to the funding for these non-profit organizations and scholarship students. Since 2011, The Lois & Richard Nicotra Foundation has awarded $629,864 to more than 329 Staten Island-based non-profit organizations and scholarship recipients.

Today, the Nicotras welcomed Diana Echevarria from the Newman’s Own Foundation and noted during the ceremony that Newman’s Own Foundation, founded by Paul Newman, also gives 100% of the profits to charity, inspired their philanthropic model for the COMMONS café. The Nicotras announced plans for a second social enterprise eatery, also located at the Teleport, which will be a part of their newest development, Corporate Commons Three. The new eatery, “Pienza – Pizza • Pasta • Porchetta”, will be three times the size of the COMMONS cafè and joins the cafè’s mission to “Eat Good. Do Good.”, giving 100% of the profits to charity. Corporate Commons Three will be a 8-story, 330,000 square foot Class A office building with a 40,000 square foot rooftop organic farm, beehives to make honey and a vineyard.

“Having the Newman’s Own Foundation join us and identify the COMMONS café as a leader in the social enterprise movement is not only validating, it’s poetic in a sense – we were inspired by their impact on the community and consider Paul Newman a role mode. For the Newman’s Own team to ask us to join them in spurring others on to replicate this “do good” movement – well, that’s just the stuff Hollywood scripts are made of,” shared COMMONS café Founders Lois and Richard Nicotra.

Special thanks to Partners In Sound Productions for their support of our Fall Awards Ceremony. Also, heartfelt thanks to Gary Skolnick of Americare Systems who is creating a “ripple of good” and sharing our message and mission.