A Story of a Lady Who Is Embodying Overflow's Mission

If you've been around us or at Overflow in the past 18 months, and especially the last 6, you might recognize this lady. 

This woman's name is Mary Ayres.  She is Amanda's mom.  She's had a rough journey over the past 3 years.  She retired 3½ years ago.  Then, in February 2012 (shortly before Overflow's 1st birthday), she had a stroke that has left her with aphasia, an acquired language disorder caused by damage to the brain, in her case the stroke. Aphasia makes Mary have extreme difficulty remembering words and she has lost most of her ability to speak, read, and write.  She is still very intelligent but has issues with communicating - both sharing her thoughts and understanding what others are trying to share. 

Due to Mary's stroke, she and Virgil, Amanda's dad, moved to Chicago in August 2013.  They made the move so that Amanda could pay their bills, file their taxes, communicate with their doctors, and an increasing number of things they couldn't do for themselves as they got older.

Then the unexpected happened.  In June of last year (2014), Mary lost her husband of 34 years.  Now we are totally responsible for caring for Mary for the 20 plus years of life she has left to enjoy.  And how, you ask, are we helping her get the most out of life when she is disabled by aphasia???

This is where Overflow and Mary intersect!  Instead of staying home alone doing practically nothing while we work long hours, Mary spends 4 days a week at Overflow (that leaves 2 days to be home alone, and 1 family day where none of us work).

Since Mary is hanging out, she has started to build relationships with some of Overflow's customers. 

• On Monday mornings, a group of women about the same age as her have invited her to be part of their women's group.  She can't say much but she really likes to feel included and involved in their lives.  
• On Thursdays, a group of parents from the school in our building have invited Mary to join their prayer group.  They pray together for the kids, teachers, staff, parents, and anything else that comes to mind.  
• On Saturdays, Mary also joined a Zumba class and helps greet the women as they arrive.  They all love to see her smiling face at 8am on a Saturday morning.  They've started to call her the Zumba mascot.  

When she first moved to Chicago, we were the only people she knew.  Now she has a community of people and her need to feel like she belongs is met. Moreover, she helps meet other people's need to belong.  She's embodying Overflow's practice of community building!

But wait, there's more...

Mary loves chocolate and tea.  If she could, that's all she'd eat and drink.  But, as we've shared with her about child labor in the chocolate industry (we dare you to Google "child labor and chocolate" and see what you discover), she's reduced how much chocolate she eats.  She understands that children should be in school, not in the cocoa field working from sun-up to sundown.  So she's more careful in her chocolate consumption.  Plus, she's started to consume fair trade tea as a way to make sure tea growers receive a fair wage.  We can't get her to drink coffee (yet) but she's definitely thinking more and more about the stories behind the things she buys.  She's embodying Overflow's practice of ethical economics!

This is just one story of one person and the impact we have as a community.  It just happens to be the one closest to us.  We see what's happening with Mary and we think, "Yes!  We really are changing the world one life at a time."

Support our mission to change the world one cup at a time through building community and ethical economics!  

Visit our online store to shop or give a gift. 

2015 Individual Overflow Membership - Join the Movement!

Support local, independent business...

Make a positive difference with your purchasing power...

Be part of a growing community of world changers...

All without tracking points, punching cards, or earning stars (whatever that means).

Overflow Membership is a straight-forward 10% discount program for your favorite coffee, tea, pastry, sandwich, fair trade gift item, and more!

Minimal hassle for 10% off every purchase, all year long.

Click here to find out more and purchase your membership online!

Top 10 Things For Which Overflow is Thankful in 2014

10. Our location.  Many aren't aware but behind-the-scenes there's been a renewed sense of working together with a few of our neighbors at 1550 S. State.  One example is that we're now providing lunches for some students at Daystar School.  The kids get healthy lunches and we get some increased revenue.

9. Our neighborhood.  The South Loop continues to grow and nurture more and more businesses, which means more residents stay in the area and others come to the neighborhood.  We're excited to see where the future takes all of us.

8. Our roaster.  Ipsento continues to do a great job and roast quality tasting and ethical coffee.  We love to drink it and are proud to serve it to you!

7. Our baker.  Delightful Pastries keeps delivering excellent and ethical pastries.  We love to eat the non-GMO wheat, real butter, easy sugar, and locally-grown ingredients.  We might love it too much.

6. Cash.  We're thankful when people use it to pay instead of plastic.

5. Our neighbor local, small businesses.  There are too many to name but they give us places to go and "Eat, Drink, Buy Local!"

4. Our partners.  We love the Greater South Loop Association and the Daystar Center and the added value they bring to Overflow!

3.Our team of baristas.  "Teamwork makes the dreamwork."  We're thankful for Justin, Mark, Dan, Caleb, David, and Dustin.*

2. Our customers.  YOU are the life breath of Overflow.  We wouldn't exist without YOU!

1. The magic that happens when customers, baristas, and our partners all work together, embracing their diversity and their similarities, to change the world one cup at a time.  Let's call that magic "True Community."

*If you know any females with barista experience, we love to have more ladies on the team.  ;-)

2014 Overflow Memberships Now Available! (and more)

Get 10% off everything you purchase from Overflow Coffee Bar with a 2014 Membership for only $50.00.

• The discount includes: food, drink, t-shirts, tumblers, fair trade gift items and more! The discount does not apply to catering orders since those are already discounted.  If you spend $10 a week or more on average at Overflow, a membership will pay for itself and then some over the course of the year. $10 is the equivalent of a small coffee each day Monday through Friday or a sandwich and latte on the weekend. It's also great for those who purchase coffee for brewing at home!
• Members also get extra perks that no one else receives. This includes: 
• VIP seating at documentary film screenings! 
• VIP access and discounts at our 3 Year Anniversary celebrations. 
• The card is valid from the time of purchase through December 31, 2014. 
• Only a limited number of cards are available. 
• A single membership is only valid for 1 person. No sharing. 
• To get your card, 
• Purchase it when you come into Overflow next.  Be ready to pay $50 via cash or credit.
• Purchase it online right now and we'll mail it to you.  Click here or use the button to the right.
• Overflow Membership makes a great gift.  If you’re interested in giving a membership as a gift, please note that when you're purchasing it. 
• If you have any questions, contact Amanda at amanda@overflowcoffeebar.org or (312) 772-2356. 

But wait there's more!  

If you purchase a membership, you might be curious to know what we're going to do with your $50.00.  We're doing some other fundraising too because here's what we'd love to do:

• If we reach 80 memberships (or raise $4,000 total), we'll be able to get outdoor patio seating for the Spring and Summer (pending a city permit).
• If we raise another $30,000, we'll be able to add a full-time "developer" position to take what we've created in starting up Overflow and keep it going and growing over time.  The "developer" will be charged with maintaining and expanding the awesomeness of Overflow.
• If we raise another $63,000, we'd be a lot more stable as a business.  Right now, if some unforeseen circumstance (like equipment failure) happened, it could cause us to go out of business.  With increased stability, we'll be able to look more toward increasing our impact locally and globally instead of worrying so much about making payroll.

Yes, we're shooting for the moon and hoping for the impossible.  We figure we'd rather put our hopes and dreams out there and see what happens.  Thanks to all of you who believe in us and want to see us not just stay in business but improve, grow and increase how much we change the world.

Click here to see our progress toward these dreams!

One Small Business' Take on a Big Business Moving In

A big topic of conversation lately has been the opening of a big grocery store on 16th and Clark, just a block away from us.  This grocery store contains a coffee bar complete with a wide variety of lunch items.  Lots are speculating about whether this new addition will increase business for Overflow due to increased foot and vehicle traffic in the area.  Alternatively, they could been seen as a competitor who could take away from our business.  I thought I'd share what we know for sure.

• Overflow is local.  We made it our mission from before we opened to be embedded deeply in this neighborhood.  I think we've done a good job of that.  Ask yourself, "Would my South Loop neighbors and I miss Overflow if it was gone?"  If you answered "yes" then we've succeeded already!

• Overflow is locked into changing the world.  When we make decisions like choosing where we source our products, we choose what's best for the planet and those who live here, not always the cheapest option.  We're committed to making wise choices.  Plus, we're getting close to making a profit.  Once we make that profit, we are required to invest it in nonprofit work.  We've already done some of that since it's the right thing to do but there's much, much more to come!

We hope these two facts along with having a space you can work, study, or play from for hours on end and our commitment to great customer service will mean our business succeeds no matter who moves in around us.  In fact, we hope the South Loop continues to attract new businesses.  As a good friend likes to say, in the South Loop "may all boats rise."

Celebrating 2 Years!

Can you believe it?!?  The time has gone by so fast.

We'll celebrate the completion of 2 years in business on March 18, 2013.  We're very excited about what's coming with our 3rd year and beyond!  Now that we have the basics of running a coffee shop down to (almost) a science, we're ready to start getting better and better.  We look forward to serving the South Loop for many, many years to come.

With Easter and Spring Breaks and such, we've decided to observe our 2 Year Anniversary on April 6.  As a special thank you to our loyal customers, we invite you to celebrate with us!

• Free piece of cake!  All day on Saturday, April 6 until it's gone.

• We're bringing back 2013 Overflow Membership Cards for a day on April 6.  They'll be the special price of $35 and give you 10% off your purchases through December 31, 2013.

• Drawings for prizes throughout the day on April 6!  When you come by, you can get your name entered into a drawing for a different prize each hour, on the hour.

A picture of our staff on the 1 Year Anniversary!

The Story Behind the 1st Annual South Loop Women's Tea

If you haven't heard about the tea, the information is here: http://southloopwomenstea.eventbrite.com.

The month of March is Women's History Month.  In communities around the United States, National Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to share the significant role of women in American history and contemporary society, and to recognize women who have been instrumental in their local communities. 

Plus, March 8th is International Women's Day.  International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present, and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women's Day is a national holiday.

Amanda's Mom!

Over 10 years ago, my mom (Mary) started an annual Women's Tea in her rural area in Ohio.  She did this to celebrate women and their contributions to her area.  My mom spent over 30 years of her life as a librarian at a local community college.  During that time she helped many woman stick with their education, especially non-traditional students like moms returning to school after a long break.  My mom retired but the Women's Teas have continued.

Last year, my mom was selected to be honored as Woman of the Year at the Women's Tea in March.  In February, however, my mom suffered a severe stroke.  She was still in the hospital during the Tea honoring her so I went in her place to accept her award.  While at the Tea, I heard many women speak about my mom's contributions to their lives.  They also talked about how much they looked forward to coming to the Tea each year.

Then and there, I decided to continue and expand my mom's legacy by starting an annual Women's Tea here in Chicago.  I want to achieve three things with these teas:

1. To celebrate women, especially those who are making contributions to our city.
2. To encourage women, especially those who doubt their achievements.
3. To inspire girls to dream big dreams and continue the advancement of women around the world.

As women, we've come so far.  We still have more to do.  

2013 Membership Cards Now Available!

This plastic, wallet-sized 2013 Membership Card costs $50.00. It gets you 10% off everything you purchase from Overflow Coffee Bar - including food, drinks, beans, t-shirts, and more! It even works on fair trade items from Ten Thousand Villages.  The only thing it doesn't work on is catering orders since those are already discounted. The savings starts immediately when you purchase the card and ends December 31, 2013. Only a limited number are available. Get yours before they run out! 

If you spend $10 a week or more on average at Overflow, this card will pay for itself and then some over the course of the year.  $10 is the equivalent of a small coffee each day Monday through Friday or a sandwich and latte on the weekend.  It's also great for those who purchase coffee for brewing at home!

NEW!  Members get VIP seating at monthly documentary film screenings!  Check out upcoming screenings at http://overflowcoffeebar.eventbrite.com.

Kids Music and Story Time UPDATE

With the weather getting colder and the park visits getting shorter, we thought we'd remind you about our Saturday morning kids activity.  It's FREE!

Join us Saturday morning at 11am for Spanish Music and Story Time for kids ages 1 and up.  Lango Chicago will present 2-3 short stories from around the world.  The stories will be read and presented in Spanish with a focus on pictures and animated delivery to help convey the meaning.  We will finish up with a sing-along to get kids engaged and using some of the Spanish vocabulary they just learned.

The Kids Story and Music Time will continue every 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month. 

We thought you'd like to know a little bit more about our music and story time leader Megan Marshall.  We asked her a few questions to get to know her a little better.  Here's what she had to say...

What is your connection to the Spanish language? I grew in a monolingual family within what was very much a bilingual community.  It used to infuriate us, but my mother was constantly pushing my sisters and I to speak Spanish with our neighbors, friends' parents etc.  All three of us are completely bilingual, at least in part thanks to her.  

Why do you like to teach young kids foreign languages?  Again, based on my experience as a child who wouldn't necessarily have been expected to become bilingual (I am sure my mother thought she would likely fail at making that happen for us) I did, largely due to early exposure.  It's amazing what kids pick up and most of it is not immediately noticeable.  Learning language is not about memorizing a bunch of vocabulary words; vocabulary is obviously a necessary component but the sounds and rhythm of language and even the being able to conceptualize the fact that there are different "codes" for communication is really important and most easily absorbed early in life. 

What do you hope is accomplished through the Kids Story and Music Time at Overflow? I think that classes and structured learning time are important components to language learning but I think that the richer and more integrated the language environment is the more likely children are to really absorb and connect with the language.  They need to have favorite songs, books, and people in Spanish.  It's a drop in the bucket but something I would like to see more of.  I want more low-key, easy ways to expose children to other languages.  It's something I wish for, for my daughter all the time. 

What's your favorite coffee drink?

egg nog latte

Tell us something interesting you'd like us to know about yourself.

In addition to speaking fluent Spanish, I am pretty proficient in Mandarin Chinese.   I lived in Southern China for a while almost 10 years ago and I still dream about the spicy food. 

What We're Thankful For

I'm listing them as I think of them (not in order of importance).

• Friends, Family and Roommates - YOU are a huge encouragement as we take risks.  I can't begin to express how much you mean to me.
• Our Customers and Donors - YOU are helping to make Overflow a reality.  Every little bit counts!
• The South Loop - for inspiring me each and every day to live life on purpose
• Coffee - I wouldn't be where I am without you.  :)

Comment and share things you're thankful for!  We'd love to hear.

Community.

I cannot express in words how much my friends and family mean to me, especially in my ventures to start a non-profit.  But, let me try...

I've been reminded recently that when I'm alone a lot (like when working from home) I totally start doubting myself and what I'm doing.  But when I work on things along with my friends, family, committee, board, etc.  I feel much better about where Overflow is headed.  I don't think it's that I'm overly critical of myself.  Rather, I'm convinced that community is better than isolation - that working together is much more fulfilling that working alone.

So, thank you to all those people working and dreaming alongside me and letting my work and dream alongside them.  Together we are mightier than we are individually.  "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." - Aristotle.

You know what else makes me feel good, comments on my posts.  No one's commented for a long time.  Why not post comment really quick???

Weekends.

One thing about starting a business is that my weekends are often crazier than my weekdays.  There's one simple reason for this: I'm dependent on other people's schedules.  Other people are not available on the weekdays but are available on the weekends! 

So, while other people are saying, "Happy Friday!"  I have a reversal of sorts and strangely find myself saying, "Happy Monday!" 

I feel very sympathetic for Brandon who's still at his 9-5.  He doesn't get the "Happy Friday!" or the "Happy Monday!"  If you know him, be sure to send him some extra love sometime.  He works really hard all the time.  He's very much a Marine at heart.  <3

Rally!

Starting January 4, Brandon and I began a Monday tradition.  After dinner, he and I sit down and have a Rally.  This Rally is kind of like a "staff meeting" and "family meeting" all wrapped up into one.  We didn't like either of these terms though because they seem so corporate, restrictive and down-right serious.  So we thought about it and (being a baseball fan) I thought of calling them a "Rally." 

So far, they've been really helpful.  I prepare a list of topics to discuss.  We always start with comparing calendars and go from there.  Just like a baseball rally, this time gives us a chance to gather our strength after a busy week and stage a comeback/renewal for the week ahead.  We always end the meeting having a to-do list and a plan for the week ahead.  We'll have our fourth one tonight.

If you're having trouble staying organized with your co-workers or family I suggest doing something similar.  Find a time and way of doing things that work for you.  Brandon and I love to talk things through as partners but others might like to have someone just write them a to-do list and not have to talk everything through.  Be adventurous and try everything until you find out what works for you and your colleagues or family or both!