South End Children’s Cafe Opens New Expanded Location to Serve More Albany Families
March 6, 2025
View Announcement Press Release
Relocation Triples Program Capacity and Supports Additional Enrichment Services through Generous Support of Public and Private Donors
The South End Children’s Cafe, a community resource dedicated to addressing food insecurity, equity and justice and supporting local children and families, today recognized the opening of its newly expanded location at 33 Rensselaer Street in Albany’s South End neighborhood. The move will allow the organization to triple the number of children and families it serves and was made possible through the generous support of local individuals, businesses, public officials, and its many community volunteers.
View this post on Instagram
For the past decade, the Children’s Cafe has served as a crucial resource for area children and families in the South End of Albany facing food insecurity and other challenges by serving free, healthy meals, assisting with homework, coordinating enriching activities, and providing a safe and joyful afterschool space.
With this move, the organization returns to its original home where it was founded in 2015 when Tracie Killar began using space in the former Reining Life Family Church’s kitchen to serve healthy meals to a small group of children. In 2017, the Children’s Café moved to 25 Warren Street, supporting more than 500 individuals with expanded programming.
“We were bursting at the seams and had moved to a waiting list for our services,” said Founder and Executive Director Tracie Killar. “We offer so much more than food, so we were maximizing every inch of space we had available. We knew an expanded facility would allow us to reach more families and grow our offerings to meet the community’s needs. We dream big alongside the children.”
In 2022, the South End Children’s Cafe applied for and received a $1 million American Rescue Plan Act grant through the City of Albany to acquire their new building on Rensselaer Street, moving from 3,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet of space. The organization’s track-record of success and results earned an additional $750,000 in financial support from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) through the advocacy of Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Patricia Fahy, and Assemblymember John T. McDonald III.
Local companies and individual donors rounded out the resources needed to renovate the space and create a joyful, inviting and child-friendly environment. Beyond ensuring local children and families continue to receive nutritious meals the move also allows the organization to expand its wrap-around services and enrichment activities which include mentoring, academic assistance, physical activities, cooking and arts programs.
“Every child deserves to thrive and access to healthy food and a supportive educational environment is a proven tool to help kids succeed,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “The South End Children’s Cafe is a perfect example of this and I was proud to advocate for this funding to expand their reach and impact, ensuring more children have the foundation they need to grow. When we invest in our children and the organizations that support them, we’re investing in New York’s future.”
The renovation included the creation of a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, dining room and other specialty spaces for the children to nurture every child’s creativity and interests – all significantly larger than in the previous space. New offerings for the Children’s Cafe in the new space include a gym, dedicated space for teens, a “Zen Room” for quiet time, dedicated spaces for academic assistance, and a stage for performances. Partnerships with local organizations also allow for counseling and other support services.
The dining room is large enough to serve 80 children each day, and with the ability to provide to-go meals for families, this will result in up to 1,000 meals being served from the Children’s Cafe’s kitchen each week. With its new walk-in refrigerator and freezer the program is able to expand its partnership with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to order and store more food, resulting in ongoing savings and efficiency.
The Children’s Cafe currently has a staff of 20 with a network of more than 50 volunteers. Each weekday at least 40 children – ages 5-14 – attend programming, and approximately 150 meals are served.
Children arrive between 2:30 and 4 p.m. from school and are greeted with a welcoming environment. First, they enjoy nutritious snacks (fresh fruit and vegetables), games, participate in enrichment activities and receive homework help from retired educators. Between 4:30 and 5:15 p.m. youth participate in recreational activities like sports, music, arts or outings offered to local attractions like parks and libraries. At 5:30 p.m. youth assist with serving and everyone sits down together to share a healthy balanced meal including salad, protein, a vegetable, starch, and dessert, prepared by volunteers. Children are picked up at 6 p.m. by parents or caregivers.
The Children’s Cafe’s expansion also marks a significant milestone in its recovery following challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the organization adapted its operations, shifting to an Emergency Delivery Program. During this time, the organization continued serving 500 healthy meals per week, along with groceries delivered to around 150 families. In March 2021, the Children’s Cafe safely resumed in-person operation, but with a significant increase to its waiting list for services. As it grows into the new space, the Children’s Cafe plans to incrementally triple the number of participating children and address this additional community need.
Many long-standing supporters make the Café’s ongoing work possible through annual philanthropic gifts and thousands of volunteer hours. Donations can be made directly through the Children’s Cafe’s website, and volunteers are always welcome to help with meal preparation, enrichment, homework help, and other services. Learn more at https://southendchildrenscafe.org/ or contact the Children’s Cafe at (518) 275-8890.
ALBANY’S ALL BUSINESS #AlbanyIsAllBiz
From new enterprises to long-standing old favorites, exciting things are happening all over the Capital City. The #AlbanyisAllBiz series puts a spotlight on members of the business community, keeping residents and visitors alike up to date on the latest developments and offerings, including restaurants, retail, nonprofits, and more.
Social Media