Save your sanity! Shop small this holiday season.

Written by Billy and Daria, students at Roosevelt University

The frenzied shopping season is almost upon us. We're sure you’ve seen commercials for can’t-miss sales and the news stories about big department stores that will open their doors on Thanksgiving Day for the first time.  Overflow's next movie screening, the documentary What Would Jesus Buy?, takes on this subject with full vigor.

Released in 2007, the movie showcases “Reverend Billy” as he follows holiday shoppers from New York City to Disney World. One of the main messages of the movie is the irony of how we celebrate Thanksgiving, which is supposed to be a time to give thanks for our blessings, followed by Black Friday, a day when people nearly trample each other trying to get the best deals at big department stores. 

We encourage you to ponder some questions surrounding this American shopping phenomenon…

Are the few dollars saved worth the insane crowds and your shattered nerves?

           

            Where do the dollars that you spend actually go?

Are your dollars working to make the world a better place?

 Do you value humanitarianism over materialism?

Large corporations exert great buying power over suppliers, forcing them to sell wholesale goods at extremely low prices so the corporations can achieve greater profits.  Suppliers across the globe must sell their goods at prices that keep their workforce at living standards below the poverty level, offering no chance for improvement.  The profits realized by large corporations are then put into the pockets of stockholders and company executives. This vicious cycle only benefits corporations while the rest of us are left with empty wallets.

In an effort to begin a discussion on the value of spending your hard earned dollars at places that will benefit you, benefit your community, and benefit the world at large, we'd encourage you to attend the screening of What Would Jesus Buy? After the movie, we’ll have a discussion in which we address the questions above and more!

Get your tickets here!

Change Chicago 1 High School Student at a Time!

One of the things we want to get better at this year is sharing volunteer opportunities.  Promoting volunteerism is part of our mission.  You can learn more about our mission on our website.  In the meantime, here's a great volunteer opportunity for you to consider.

Did you know? Only 3% of Chicago Public School minority students graduate from a 4-year college. 

You could be part of mentoring a CPS High Schooler in Bronzeville to make sure he or she makes it through to college and sticks with it.  The mentoring is mostly virtual, and was designed with working people in mind but retirees, recent college grads and other-not-9-to-5ers can participate too. 

Learn about Chicago’s growing education gap, and what you can do to change the future for our children, and our community @ an interest meeting Monday, January 7 @ 7pm or Saturday, February 2 @ 10:30am here @ Overflow Coffee Bar.

Click on the image or zoom in to enlarge the text.

We're looking for: ARTISTS!

We need some art to display on our walls in 2013.  If you're an interested artists, fill out the form here.

Here are some details you might want to know:
To express interest in showing your art on the walls at Overflow Coffee Bar for approximately 1 month, please complete the form  We'll get back to you to discuss details.

Here are the rules:

1. Artists are given priority for scheduling in the order their forms are received.
2. Artists must live, work or study in the South Loop or a nearby neighborhood within the City of Chicago.
3. Artists may list their pieces for sale and keep 100% of the sales. Overflow does not take any overhead or fees.
4. Artists must not have a permanent gallery space.
5. We have lots of kids come through the coffee bar so all art is subject to approval by Overflow staff.
6. Artists are encouraged but not required to have an opening reception soon after their art is hung.  The reception is a great opportunity for inviting friends and family to see the art!

Artist Phil poses with his art

Food Pantry Drop Off

A food pantry operated at South Loop Community Church (1347 S. State Street) has just been adopted into the Chicago Food Depository.  With the adoption they must go from monthly to weekly operation.  They need more resources to meet more demand.  Thus, we are now a drop-off location for donations of dry and canned foods.  Clean out your pantry, fill our bin and feed the hungry!

World AIDS day

December 1 is World AIDS Day.  Here at Overflow, we are concerned about HIV/AIDS and use this day to show our support for those working in AIDS prevention and care.  AIDS is much more than a health crisis—it impacts nearly every dimension of social and economic life, robbing children of their parents, devastating workforces, and undermining economies. Today, 33.4 million people are living with HIV and AIDS, of which 2.1 million are children under age 15.

For us this isn't just a one day thing. We are proud to serve baked goods from Sweet Miss Givings, a social enterprise bakery and jobs program. 100% of SMG's profits go to help the formerly homeless and HIV/AIDS-affected men, women, and children of Chicago House.  As the first HIV/AIDS housing provider in the Midwest, Chicago House serves those who are living with HIV and AIDS. Through Chicago House, more than 1,300 people are guided to wholeness and self-sufficiency each year. 

What you can do:

• Purchase Sweet Miss Givings baked goods.  Every day, we offer fresh muffins, scones, cookies and brownies.  For larger events we also do catering orders with SMG's baked goods.
• Get educated.  We recommend starting here.
• Spread the word.  Share what you learn and your concern with others.  Wear a red ribbon on Dec 1st to help start the conversation.
• To help with prevention or care in Chicago, Chicago House is looking for volunteers.
• To help with prevention or care around the world, help mothers get HIV treatment. Without treatment, HIV-positive moms have a 1 in 3 chance of infecting their children. Yet a few simple measures dramatically reduce these odds.  Find out more here.

Thanks for voting... Next steps for the fall

Thanks to all who voted in our recent poll.  The results are at the bottom of this post.

For those who might be interested in doing more and shaping the future of 1550 S. State and its impact on the South Loop, the Daystar Center is putting together a "Task Force" for the 2011/12 School Year.  Here's the info about it.

The Daystar Center is a beautiful newborn, but it’s still a newborn. It needs continued attention and care as it gets on its feet. This volunteer Task Force is being formed with the purpose of developing, promoting, and implementing programming for the Daystar Center. The Task Force will usually meet monthly from August 2011 to May 2012. If you would like to shape the Daystar Center and help it move to the next level, please download and complete this survey to express your willingness to be on the Task Force.

We encourage anyone who might be interested to complete the survey and attend the first meeting on August 9. They will definitely be talking about some projects that Overflow and Daystar Center plan to do together this fall, including musical performances and social gatherings. Plus, it's a good resume builder and way to give back to your neighborhood.  :)

Clean & Green

Twice a year our Alderman does a Clean and Green in the South Loop.  There have been 3 since we've moved here.  We love these events and wish we could inspire more people to volunteer to clean and green our neighborhood.

The first one, Brandon and I went to and had a great time.  Afterward, we thought, "We'd love to do this again and bring others with us!" 

The second one, only Brandon could go because I had to work.

The third one was this past Saturday.  Brandon and I went and got 7 other people to go as well.  We got to clean & green an area in Bronzeville.  Plus, we also got to meet some neighbors and share about Overflow.

The next one is in the Spring so we're hoping we can get even more people to volunteer.  Overflow should be open by then so we should be able to multiply 7 several times over.  :)

An Opportunity to Change the World

We're now accepting applications for the Set Up Shop Committee. What does that mean? Here are the details:

Overflow is now seeking individuals to join our Set Up Shop Committee. This committee will work together to brainstorm, plan and problem-solve creative ways for Overflow to become the robust, sustainable organization we were designed to be. This committee will consist of individuals from many different backgrounds and expertise. Most importantly, we promise to make this committee fun and fruitful! No boring, unproductive meetings.

Serving on a non-profit committee is a great way to build your resume, gain work experience you may not be able to gain at your workplace, do something to give back, and make the world a better place. Many of the details for the committee have not been fully developed because we want this committee to be crafted by its members.

If you are interested in joining our Set Up Shop Committee please download the application at: http://www.overflowcoffeebar.org/committeeapplication.pdf. Applications are due January 8, 2010. The purpose of the application is to let us know what you're looking to get out of being a part of the committee. Don't get too stressed out about it or anything. You're not interviewing for a job.

Questions? Contact Brandon Neely at brandon@overflowcoffeebar.org.