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: NONPROFITS!

We feature a different nonprofit each month and are putting together our line-up for 2013.  If you know of a local nonprofit we should support,  make a suggestion via this form.  If you work or volunteer for a nonprofit and would like to talk about partnership opportunities, use the same form.

We're always on the look out for nonprofits with which we can partner.  Please share a nonprofit you know of or at which you volunteer or work.  We only work with nonprofits who are active in the South Loop or nearby Chicago neighborhoods.

One of the South Loop nonprofit activities we support is the South Loop Food Pantry!

This Month @ Overflow!

Happy Holidays!  As you're preparing and celebrating, here's some events and reminders to keep in mind and plan for.  Click on the name of each item for more information.

• Deals of the week - We're having a different deal each week for the rest of the year.  Look for it when you stop by for coffee, breakfast or lunch.  We've got a bunch of gift ideas ready for you and more to come! Check out our gift ideas here.
• Holiday hours
• Saturday, December 22 - 8am to 4pm
• Sunday, December 23 - 8am to 4pm
• Monday, December 24 - 7am to 3pm
• Tuesday, December 25 through Tuesday, January 1 - CLOSED
• Wednesday, January 2 - Reopen @ 7am and resume normal hours
• Saturday, January 5 - Open Mic and More! @6pm (sign ups start at 5:30pm)

Also, in our building but sponsored by other groups are the following...

• Every Sunday - Stories of Ordinary People who Encounter the Extraordinary (hosted by Vineyard South Loop) @ 6:30pm
• Thursday, December 13 - Film Club screens Some Like it Hot (hosted by Daystar Center) @ 7pm
• Saturday, December 15 - Two for Brazil Concert (hosted by Daystar Center) @ 8pm

Other community events you might be interested in...

• Tuesday, December 11 - Greater South Loop Association's Annual Holiday Party

We're Looking For: DOCUMENTARIES!

We starting to schedule documentary screenings for 2013.  If you know a documentary you'd like us to show, please complete this suggestion form.

We show a documentary once per month (except December).  In 2012, they were on the 4th Thursdays but in 2013 we're going to try them on the 4th Tuesdays for the most part.  Watch for a posting of dates and the films we have listed so far sometime before December 31.

Films we've already screened include:
Black Gold
Call + Response
Father of Lights
Give a Damn?
Good Fortune
Live 58
The People's Crisis
The Price of Sugar
Very Young Girls

If you have a suggestion for a documentary we should screen, please share it with us by using the form link above.  Thanks for sharing!

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