HISTORY:

Cafe Plus was founded by David Listowski on December, 1996 as a place for survivors and friends of traumatic brain injuries in central New York.  It is a place to relax, get involved in meaningful activities while enjoying the company of other survivors and friends.  Too often, survivors feel isolated and left out of the society after such injuries resulting from car accidents, falls, industrial mishaps, sports injuries, assaults and many others.  A survivor can spend months to even years in trying to recover.  Because of this, many of the traumatic brain injury survivors experience a loss of their personal identities and lowered self-esteem.  Cafe plus is a place to rediscover who they are once again.

The purpose of this coffee shop is to assist people combat these feelings of isolation and reconnecting with the society by involving in social activities and making new friends.  The residents in central New York area have responded with over 5000 visitors and about 15 to 20 new survivors and friends coming in each week.