Archbishop Elpidophoros, the head of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, visited Luv Michael, an innovative kitchen and learning center in New York City where young adults with autism are trained and offered employment making granola that is sold in area markets and shops.
The non-profit organization was founded by Dr. Lisa Liberatore and her husband Dr. Dimitri Kessaris who were inspired to offer young people like their son, Michael, to provide meaningful employment opportunities for young people on the autism specter.
Luv Michael’s mission is to first provide education to young adults, including food handling, preparation of granola and even marketing.
After the students graduate from their coursework, they are offered employment in the Luv Michael Kitchen, located in Tribeca, making granola that is sold in grocery stores and shops throughout the city and offered for sale via mail order on the Luv Michael website.
Archbishop Elpidophoros was accompanied by Fr. Alexander Karloutsos and Presvytera Xanthi from the Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons, where Luv Michael has implemented a community-wide effort to provide support for families with autistic children.
Fr. Alexander was instrumental in supporting the efforts of Drs. Liberatore and Kessaris, who are parishioners of the parish, in order to help the growing number of families that need support programs like these for their children.
