Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nonprofit Support topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hugs Cafe highlights new headquarters and thanks MCDC for $1 million support
Summary
Lauren Smith, CEO of Hugs Cafe Inc., told the McKinney Community Development Corporation on Feb. 26 that MCDC’s support helped build a greenhouse and provided a $1,000,000 catalytic gift toward a new headquarters set to open this summer, expanding employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Lauren Smith, CEO of Hugs Cafe Inc., told the McKinney Community Development Corporation on Feb. 26 that the nonprofit’s new headquarters and greenhouse expansion were made possible in part by MCDC support, and she thanked the board for a $1,000,000 catalytic contribution.
The presentation was part of the MCDC’s 30th‑anniversary community partner spotlight. Smith said Hugs Cafe Inc. operates four programs — Hugs Cafe, Hugs Greenhouse, Hugs Home Cooking and Hugs Training Academy — and reported the organization employs about 107 staff across affiliates and provided nearly 30,000 hours of meaningful employment last year. She highlighted that Hugs now owns 4.5 acres for its greenhouse and is moving forward with construction on a headquarters near downtown McKinney that she said will open this summer.
“The MCDC came in at a huge opportunity, $1,000,000 to support a project that serves IDD employment — a catalytic gift that has allowed us to sustain other incredible gifts,” Smith said, thanking the board and the Hugs team. During the presentation video and remarks, Hugs representatives described year‑round greenhouse production, job training and plans to consolidate training, administration and production under one roof.
Chairman Fuller and other board members praised Hugs’ community impact during brief comments following the presentation. The spotlight session was informational; no grant or action on the Hugs headquarters was taken at the MCDC meeting on Feb. 26.
