New Yoga Class starts this Thursday, June 11 at 6:30pm

We're sharing this announcement from Daystar Center because BOTH yoga AND Alix, herself, seem to be aligned with Overflow's values.

New Yoga Class

Thursday evenings, starting June 11, 6:30-7:30pm, $7 per class

Thursday night Yoga Class is taught by Alixandra Foisy, certified Yoga teacher. This yoga style is similar to Forrest yoga where poses are held and breath is utilized to calm the body. Appropriate for beginner and intermediate experience levels, students will grow in strength and learn body alignment techniques. Alix tailors each class to the needs of the attendees, and presents the practice in a way that keeps it playful and fun. She desires to provide space within the practice to experience emotions and a deep connection with one’s physical self.

Read more about Alix here.

Something Fresh is Happening!

So many women live in poverty, not because they lack abilities, but because they lack opportunity. Overflow is joining with Trades of Hope to give women around the world that opportunity for a better life. Each woman has a story, and with Trades of Hope's help, their story has changed from pain and struggle to a story of hope! We're excited to further these stories.

Here's a video sharing the story of one Trades of Hope artisan in Uganda:

Trades of Hope works with the artisans themselves and organizations that are helping women in difficult circumstances. Some women have been rescued from sex slavery. Others are raising handicapped children alone. Some are in war torn countries and others have aids and leprosy. These women have never had the chances we've had, yet they are just like us in so many ways. They love their families and hope and dream of a better life for them.

Here are the various ways you can make a purchase and give a gift to yourself or to a friend that also gives a gift to a woman in poverty and her community:

• Shop at Overflow the next time you're in.  We have select items available for direct purchase.
• Shop online at mytradesofhope.com/overflowcoffeebar.  All items are available and can be shipped to any address in the United States.
• Host a party with your friends.  More info here.   

In case you need some enticement, here's an online promo that starts soon:

Thank you for changing the world with us!

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.  ;-)

This Month at Overflow! 5.2014

Presented by Overflow

27 - Buyer Be Fair Documentary Film Screening & Discussion @ 7pm - More info here.

Presented by Daystar Center

10 - Chicago Solo Theatre @ 7:30pm - More info here.

13 - Chicago Film Club screens Hitchcock's Rebecca @ 6:30pm - More info here.

15 & 17 - Jazz Vocalist (& South Loop Resident) Sabina & Visual Artists Jeremy & Jordan @ 7pm - More info here.

Other Community Activities

12 - South Loop Toastmasters Meeting @ 6:15pm - More info here.

17 - Greater South Loop Association Community Meeting @ 9am - More info here.

Celebrate Earth Day at Overflow!

April 22, 2014 (Earth Day!)
7:00 - 9:00pm
Film Screening and Discussion
RSVP here.

Film Description

A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle For a Living Planet is the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement - grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change. From halting dams in the Grand Canyon to battling 20,000 tons of toxic waste at Love Canal; from Greenpeace saving the whales to Chico Mendes and the rubbertappers saving the Amazon; from climate change to the promise of transforming our civilization... the film tells vivid stories about people fighting - and succeeding - against enormous odds.

The film is divided into five "acts".

Act 1 focuses on the conservation movement of the `60s, David Brower and the Sierra Club's battle to halt dams in the Grand Canyon. Narrated by Robert Redford.

Act 2 looks at the new environmental movement of the `70s with its emphasis on pollution, focusing on the battle led by Lois Gibbs over Love Canal. Narrated by Ashley Judd.

Act 3 is about alternative ecology strands and the main story is Greenpeace's campaign to save the whales. Narrated by Van Jones.

Act 4 explores global resource issues and crises of the `80s, focusing on the struggle to save the Amazon led by Chico Mendes and the rubber tappers. Narrated by Isabel Allende.

Act 5 concerns climate change. Narrated by Meryl Streep.

Run Time: 101 minutes.  Discussion will end around 9pm.

Watch the trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc40_9tVUao.

"Rarely do environmental-themed films come with the ambitious scope of 'A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet'which aims at nothing less than the history of environmentalism itself."  -Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times

Raffle Prizes for this Saturday's 3 Year Anniversary Festivities

In case you've been hiding under a rock and haven't heard, we're celebrating 3 years this Saturday, March 29.  There's free cake from 8am to 6pm.  Then, there's a big party at 7pm (ADVANCE TICKETS REQUIRED).  Read more at this previous blog posting.

In the meantime, here are some teasers for the raffle prizes we're giving away.  Stop on by and you could win big!

From Overflow Coffee Bar

• $50 Overflow Coffee Bar gift card
• 2 tickets to A Fierce Green Fire Film Screening and Discussion
• Overflow gift basket - coffee, mug, and more!

From Daystar Center

• 2 tickets to Chicago Solo Theatre Solo Saturdays (a $30 value)
• 2 tickets for Chicago Film Club screening of What's Up Doc? (a $10 value)
• 2 tickets for Duo Tandem Performance (a $40 value)
• Yoga punch card (a $90 value)

From Local, Small Businesses

• free 1 hour massage from Equilibrium Health and Wellness
• 2 - $25 gift cards from Tapas Valencia
• 1 Gift Basket and 1 Free Groom from Doggone Fun
• Reggies bucks from Reggie's
• Sonicare Toothbrush, Whitening pen, and whitening toothpaste (a $190 value) from Sloop Dental
• Silver Clutch from Saca-tash
• 10 Class Pass from Fit4Mom Chicago
• 1 Session (12 classes) Tuiton from Lango Chicago

From Overflow's favorite customers (you're all our favorites)

• Two 60 Minute Webinars + Three 30 Minute Individual Coaching Sessions ($175 Value) from Howard Fox with Fox Coaching, Inc
• 2 Women's History Month Prints from artist Sarah Viktora of Influx Designs
• 2 Financial Coaching Packs (includes 1 counseling session and a prepared comprehensive financial plan) from Mark Willis of Lake Growth Financial Services 
• SEO Overview, Design Analysis, Landing Page Design, and Email Setup ($350 Value) from Jeff Beckham with Black Box Creative

There are also some giveaways from BMO Harris Bank.

Remember this is just a teaser... there will be more than what's listed here!

It's been a rough winter for small businesses, get out there and support your neighborhood!

*** Special thanks to Weather Mark Tavern for donating local beer for the party at 7pm! ***

Announcing: CSA at Overflow!

We're partnering with Nichols Farm & Orchard in Marengo, Illinois to bring you fresh, local fruits and vegetables this summer and fall.  

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  It's about relationship.  You get local, fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables while building a relationship with a local farmer (in this case the Nichols family).  

You can sign up online and then pick up your food here at Overflow.  Easy, convenient, and affordable.

Read more and see pick-up dates and locations here.

Full disclosure: Overflow is not getting paid to host this CSA. We might receive a box of fruits and veggies to split among the staff. People who come to pick up their food might make a purchase from Overflow. We're not sure what might happen. Primarily, we're doing this because it's the right thing to do.

Celebrating 3 Years!

March 29, 2013 

8am to 6pm - Free Cake*!  Raffle Prizes!

*while supplies last

7pm to 9pm - Coffee Tasting!  Speed Networking!  Impact Sharing!

Advance tickets required.  Purchase at http://overflow3years.bpt.me.

Special Guests Include:

Marc J. Lane  - Mr. Lane is seen as one of the chief authorities on L3C.  Overflow is an L3C.  He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law, where he has taught courses in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial finance and where he currently teaches the Social Enterprise course. He is Chairman of the State of Illinois’ Task Force on Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Enterprise.


Tim Taylor - Mr. Taylor owns Ipsento, an award-winning, direct-trade roaster and coffee shop in Bucktown.  He is Overflow’s roaster.  He has worked in virtually every role imaginable in specialty coffee - including green coffee buyer and Cup of Excellence judge.


#Overflow3Years

It's also Daystar Center's 3 Year Anniversary so they'll be involved in these festivities as well!  As they say, "Gather.  Connect.  Grow."

*

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!

Seeking Intern, Apprentice, or Volunteer for Special Project

Read on if you fit ALL of these criteria:

• You want to build your resume with social media marketing, web design or online community building experience.
• You have at least 10 hours per week for 2-3 months to devote to this.
• You work well with a team and enjoy collaboration.
• You love to be creative and learn quickly.
• You are looking for a way to give back and change the world (starting with the South Loop).

We are preparing to complete a super special secret project!  All we can publish online is that it involves "online community building."  To be successful, we need some extra hands that fit the above criteria.  

We are willing to barter in exchange for your efforts.  Bartering includes giving you coffee, food, gas money (or CTA passes), and/or self-fulfillment.  

If you're interested, please call (312) 674-0001.  Email inquiries will be ignored.

Film Screening Review

On Tuesday, February 19 we screened The United States of ALEC in partnership with Common Cause.   Some students from Roosevelt University were in the audience.  They are taking classes related to social entrepreneurship and are getting hands-on experience here at Overflow.  Here's what a few had to say about the screening...

"The United States of ALEC Film Screening really motivated me to get informed! It is mind-blowing how many things are going on behind closed doors in our government, at the expense of our livelihood. I began to see why Benjamin and Brian, from Common Cause, are so passionate about their movement. It is imperative that we restore our democracy! I am going to do my part by voting next week!" - Erika M.

"After watching The United States of ALEC, I have a better grasp of what ALEC is and how it affects all of us. I hope to stay in touch with Common Cause and help create awareness to stop ALEC from privatizing everything." -Felix E.

"I really enjoyed the movie. The room had really good acoustics and the view was good. You guys organized the event really well." -Daniel P.

The next film we're screening is Danny from North Korea on March 19.  This film is perfect for those who love an inspiration story.  It's also great for those interested in media and world change.  More info is here.