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.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year... to Make a Difference

As the song goes, "It's the most wonderful time of the year!"  We wish you a great holiday season.

It just so happens this is one of the best times of the year to make a significant impact with how you choose to spend your money.

We're participating in Unwrap Chicago - a campaign to increase holiday spending at local businesses. Learn more and take the pledge to shift your spending to local businesses at www.unwrapchicago.org. Be sure to check out their Top 10 Reasons to Buy Local.  Instead of ordering your gifts online this year, why not take a walk around the South Loop!

As always your purchase at Overflow also makes a positive difference in the lives of farmers and for the environment.

Be sure to check out our Holiday Gift Ideas. Our NEW 2012 Membership Card keeps the giving going all year long.  It makes a great gift for yourself or for someone else. 

Local Action to End City-Wide Violence

In November here at Overflow, we're providing the opportunity for some local action to end violence in Chicago, city-wide.  Here's what's happening and how you can join us:

Film Screening - The Interrupters
Tuesday, November 8, 7pm 
Increase your awareness of what's happening by viewing The Interrupters - a Chicago-based documentary.  Cobe Williams, one the stars of the film will be here!  Scroll down to the next blog post for the full details.  Click here to reserve your seat.  Tickets are also available at the door while seating lasts.

Ethos - Party for Peace
Thursday, November 19, 7 to 10pm 
Show your support for ending violence by attending Ethos - Party for Peace. A portion of tickets and sales during the event will support Cease Fire Chicago. We'll also have DJ Toxxic spinning. Tickets are $6.  Purchase tickets in advance here.  Tickets are also available at the door.

Click here and invite your Facebook friends to join you.

Every city needs its heroes.

See some of Chicago's heroes in action at our screening of 

The Interrupters

November 8th at 7pm

The Interrupters tells the moving and surprising stories of three Violence Interrupters who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once employed. From acclaimed director Steve James and bestselling author Alex Kotlowitz, this film is an unusually intimate journey into the stubborn persistence of violence in our cities. Shot over the course of a year out of Kartemquin Films, The Interrupters captures a period in Chicago when it became a national symbol for the violence in our cities. During that period, the city was besieged by high-profile incidents, most notably the brutal beating of Derrion Albert, a Chicago High School student, whose death was caught on videotape.

Watch the trailer here: http://kartemquin.com/films/the-interrupters

An after-screening discussion will be hosted by Josh Larsen, former film critic for Sun-Times Media.

Tickets
$8 per ticket
2 tickets for $13
$5 Student rate
$5 for children ages 7 to 17
Purchase in advance here: http://conta.cc/uah2ak

For you skeptics out there, Overflow has a large auditorium in our building with a complete sound and projection system. We'll be watching the film there and having the post-screening discussion in the coffee bar space. This will be a high-quality production. :)

This Weekend at Overflow!

 

Click on the image to purchase tickets in advance.

Check out Buy Art Not People at http://buyartnotpeople.org/.

Find out more about the Salvation Army's Stop-It program here.