Roman Catholic organization would run cafe at the Newport library branch

BOARDMAN

Trustees of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County have authorized Library Director Heidi Daniel to pursue a rental agreement with a Roman Catholic organization for the cafe at the Newport library branch.

The cafe, to be known as Cafe Augustine, would be operated by the St. Augustine Society, sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, beginning in late July.

The society would pay rent plus utilities for the cafe, which would be patterned after a similar operation, known as Cafe Reconcile in New Orleans.

The Newport library cafe would be open to the public for lunch and operated as a sheltered workshop and life skills course for people between the ages of 18 and 24, “who got disconnected somehow from the working world,” said the Rev. Edward Brienz, director of the propagation of the faith and missions office of the Diocese.

The previous Newport library cafe operator, New Seasonings, moved out last fall.

In addition to benefitting the library and its patrons by reopening the cafe, Daniel said: “We also liked the fact that this program brought in a social mission.”