GRACE Foundation, NYC Health + Hospitals launch Sea View café partnership

By AI, Created 9:54 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – The GRACE Foundation and NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View will announce a new café partnership on Thursday in Staten Island. The GRACE Café is designed to expand job training for people with autism while adding a community space for residents, families and staff at Sea View.

Why it matters: - The GRACE Café gives participants from The GRACE Foundation a new on-site workplace where they can build job skills and social confidence. - NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View says the café is meant to improve daily life for residents, families and staff by adding a place to gather on campus. - The partnership extends a disability employment model that ties training to real service work.

What happened: - The GRACE Foundation and NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View will hold a press conference on Thursday, April 30, at 11:30 a.m. - The announcement will take place at 460 Brielle Avenue in the Robitzek Administration Building on the Sea View campus in Staten Island. - The organizations will announce the launch of The GRACE Café, an eatery on the Seaview campus operated by GRACE participants. - Local elected officials, GRACE Foundation leadership and NYC Health + Hospitals executives are expected to speak. - The event will include samples of menu items that will be offered when the café opens.

The details: - The GRACE Foundation is a Staten Island nonprofit focused on supporting people with autism. - Executive Director Cathy Del Priore said the café is a milestone in the organization’s 26-year history. - Del Priore said participants have gained experience through GRACE On Wheels, a food truck launched in 2025. - GRACE On Wheels has appeared at local events and festivals and has been booked for corporate and private events. - The GRACE Café will expand that culinary program and give more participants hands-on learning opportunities. - Sea View Chief Executive Officer Matthew Levy said the café will open in the Sea View lobby. - Levy said the project is intended to create a warm space that supports normalcy, comfort and connection. - The GRACE Foundation says its mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. - The organization describes ASD as a neurological disorder that affects language, communication, social interaction and relatedness. - GRACE says each person with ASD needs individualized guidance and support. - NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View is a 304-bed skilled nursing facility on Staten Island certified by the New York State Department of Health. - Sea View has held a five-star Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rating since 2008. - Sea View ranks No. 34 in Newsweek’s 2026 Best Nursing Homes in New York State. - U.S. News & World Report gave Sea View its highest performance rating for long-term care and short-term rehabilitation in its 2024 Best Nursing Homes list. - Sea View was the first facility in downstate New York to establish a New York State Certified Brain Injury Program. - The brain injury program includes a 21-bed restorative rehabilitation unit and a 38-bed extended care unit. - The GRACE Foundation’s website is more information. - NYC Health + Hospitals’ website is more information.

Between the lines: - The café is more than a food service project. It is a workforce training extension of a program already designed for public visibility and real customer interaction. - Sea View is using the partnership to broaden what a skilled nursing campus can offer beyond clinical care. - The move fits a broader trend of health care and nonprofit organizations pairing inclusion with employment pathways.

What’s next: - The café is expected to open for service after the announcement. - The menu sampling at Thursday’s event offers the first look at what Sea View visitors and staff will be able to buy. - The partnership could create more participation opportunities as the café grows alongside GRACE On Wheels.

The bottom line: - The GRACE Café turns an autism support program into a visible job-training partnership inside one of Staten Island’s major care facilities.