About Us

What CORE does

CORE is a national non-profit that is dedicated to providing support to the food & beverage service industry. CORE grants financial assistance to food and beverage operations employees with children when the employee, their spouse/domestic partner, or their child is faced with a life-altering health crisis, injury, death or natural disaster. Crisis Assistance – CORE directly pays monthly expenses (rent, food & utilities) to workers in the food and beverage service industry whose immediate family is experiencing a medical crisis, domestic abuse/violence, death, or a natural disaster.

CORE Grantee Jamie

History

The concept of CORE was hatched by a group of friends at a bar after attending the National Restaurant Association’s annual convention in Chicago in 2004. Originally named Children of Restaurant Employees, CORE’s founders, John Niekrash, Larry McGinn, Paul LaConte, Stan Novack and Mara Lee, wanted to create an organization that helped food and beverage service workers with children during times of crisis. Since then, Children of Restaurant Employees has grown and evolved into CORE Gives, a national nonprofit that has granted over $2,000,000 directly to workers and their families.