2019 Social Mission Partner: Cáfe The Lodge

At Fig, we believe in the power of a community that works together to identify needs and find solutions—one that creates connections and is passionate about helping its neighbors. We believe in the mission of Café The Lodge—our 2019 Social Mission Partner. Please consider supporting and surrounding them this year.

If you’re looking for a place to eat well and do good, we’d like to introduce you to Fig Bethlehem’s 2019 Social Mission Partner! Located on Bethlehem’s South Side, not only does Café the Lodge have a diverse selection of great food and a tranquil terrace in the back—it explicitly employs and empowers those with mental health diagnoses.

“We are thrilled to be Fig’s Social Mission Partner of 2019,” said Ian Panyko, Director, “and we look forward to showing the Valley that the employees of Café the Lodge are the faces of mental health recovery.”

The café is a part of a larger holistic recovery program called The Lodge—in which consumers engage in a small community and support each other daily. Funded by Northampton County Mental Health, The Lodge offers guidance in establishing independent living routines and wholesome lifestyles, providing employment and volunteer opportunities at Café the Lodge as well as recreational and educational events for its members and for the community at large—including an ongoing “Artists in Recovery” exhibit, featuring artwork from residents, staff, and community members.

The Lodge houses 12 individuals in the community, while Café the Lodge employs up to 18 individuals at any given time. The end goal is to give people the skills for independent living and competitive employment in the community, whether in another restaurant or somewhere else. “Our program is interesting,” says Ian, “because we don’t say, here’s what you need to do. Instead, we ask, what do you need to do to be well?”