Inspiration Cafe / by Taylor Wade

Peter Mars is the chairman of the juried art auction for the annual Inspiration Corporation benefit. Inspiration Cafe is a non-profit organization founded by former police officer Lisa Nigro, who in 1989 borrowed a red wagon, filled it with coffee and sandwiches and pulled it around the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago offering dignity and respect to the homeless men and women she encountered. Inspiration Corporation has grown to serve 2,500 individuals a year by providing meals, supportive services, housing, employment preparation and vocational training. 

View a short video about Inspiration Cafe that ran during the Oscars