HUNGERTHON 2012

Last weekend, I had the privilege of volunteering at HUNGERTHON again after two years. 

HUNGERTHON is Ozarks Food Harvest's largest annual fundraiser for their backpack program. 

It is a radio-thon with Alice 95.5, a local radio station, where they spend four days outside telling heartwarming stories on air to encourage people to donate to such a great cause.

All the money raised goes to help fund the backpack program for the Ozarks.

The backpack program is a program for kids who are relying on school to receive food each day, and do not always get a meal over the weekend.

Ozarks Food Harvest, our local food bank, creates the backpacks filled with good food that is easy for a child to prepare, and the backpacks are sent home every Friday with the at-risk students.

Two summers ago, I had my first internship with the PR department at Ozarks Food Harvest, and I learned so much about hunger in the Ozarks as well as valuable career skills I still use everyday.

It was so great to be able to come back and see all the people I worked with that summer.

In fact, we had an intern reunion between my former internship supervisor, Lindsey, her previous intern after me, Sara, and her current intern, Riana.

We snagged a photo to commemorate the occasion!

Sara, Lindsey, Riana and I smile for the camera!

Ozarks Food Harvest is such a great nonprofit.

They were and are huge players in the Joplin tornado relief.

If you are interested in being a part of Ozarks Food Harvest,

check out their website: ozarksfoodharvest.org. 

Do not forget to give back to your community,

-Coffeegirl

Person in Charge of Getting the Word Out

I'm starting to settle into my new job at Askinosie Chocolate,

and I'm just smitten.

It is the perfect job for me.

However, I am constantly asked:

So what do you actually DO?

Do you get to eat chocolate all day?

Are there oompa loompas involved?

Well, 

I am a public relations professional for an artisan bean-to-bar chocolate factory, where I do get to eat chocolate frequently and there are not oompa loompas.

I adore my actual title:

Person in Charge of Getting the Word Out.

I think that pretty much sums it up.

I'm a storyteller,

an event coordinator,

a social media peep,

a listening ear for customers,

a idea factory for journalists

and simply an advocate for the company.

A wise professor once described PR as three things:

reading,

writing &

relationships.

I love all of those things.

My outfit for my first day of work!

Being the Person in Charge of Getting the Word Out,

you all will be hearing much more of Askinosie's story in posts to come,

but for now that is all.

Hopefully, you understand what I do a little better than before.

Indulge in yummy chocolate always,

Coffeegirl

La Capilla del Hombre

This week, I have called Quito, Ecuador, twice for work, and we got our shipment of cocoa beans from Ecuador this morning.

All this has me reminiscing over being in that lovely Latin city this time last year.

Photo from Askinosie Instagram.

One of my favorite experiences of the entire trip, I have yet to share with my fellow traveling chums: 

Visiting la Capilla del Hombre.

Found on Flickr

La Capilla del Hombre, or the Cathedral of Man, is an art gallery dedicate to one of Ecuador's most famous artists: Oswaldo Guayasamin. The gallery was actually designed by Guayasamin, but he did not live to see out his final masterpiece's completion.

"I cried because I had no shoes until I saw a child with no feet."

Guayasamin had a very unique style born out of his friend's death in a political demonstration and his travels to indigenous people along the Amazon. 

He became obsessed with human suffering and injustice in the world. 

His work reflects that greatly.

The cathedral of man is showcases man's suffering and greatness in that suffering.

Like in religious depictions, there are three levels:

heaven,

purgatory &

hell.

However, it is more about man than a higher being because Guayasamin was not a religious man.

Found on Flickr.

My favorite of his paintings is called "El mestizaje," or mixing of cultures and races. The blue and yellow hues represent the clashing of the Spanish people with the indigenous people of South America.

I love how he represents this concept.

I hung a copy of this painting up in my Askinosie office this week because I love it so much.

I enjoyed our group tour of La Capilla Del Hombre so much,

I made an independent trip back to the gallery and bought three paintings.

One is in my office.

One is hanging in my new apartment.

One still needs a home.

Does art about social injustice excite anyone else? 

Or just me? :)

Safe travels,

-Coffeegirl

What is a Cortado?

One of my favorite espresso drinks is one that you cannot find everywhere.

It is perfect for fall and spring

(those in between weather seasons)

because it is a warm drink served cooler than most.

It is a cortado.

Cortado means "cut" in Spanish.

So in essence, the drink is espresso "cut" with milk.

The drink is hard to come by,

but my favorite local shop, The Coffee Ethic, let me invade their space so I could write about one of my favorite drinks right now.

The drink is comes in a 4 oz. shot glass with two shots of espresso and steamed milk.

This makes it in between the size and strength of a macchiato and a cappuccino. 

The milk is steamed a little cooler than a macchiato

but with the consistency of milk in a latte.

This basically means that it is thinner or has less foam

but served at a low temp.

I LOVE cortados!

They are beautiful, Spanish and yummy,

and they are perfect for those days when you cannot decide between hot and iced coffee.

I highly recommend them.

(especially from The Coffee Ethic)

-Coffeegirl

All photos were taken by me, and the drink was made by Mallory McWilliams, Barista at The Coffee Ethic.