Food
A Trip to a Warehouse ☕️
Being in the Klatch Coffee warehouse and training center was more than a learning experience. It was a throwback to growing up in a food warehouse and what my father built.
My Writing
What's cooking in my head and heart. All posts are sent out via my newsletter, Somethingburger 🍔.
Memoir
Picnic Sandwiches
One day a white Ford Econoline van appeared, so old that its paint was matted, its enamel sheared away by time and smogwinds. It's name was Picnic Sandwiches, and it was my father's mighty chariot.
Memoir
My Madam Bovary Story
My immigrant parents were very tight with money and very deliberate in shaping our attitudes about it. Buying books was a complicated affair.
The Garden, Dad, and I
I spent much of my time growing up, especially my adolescent years, with my father in our backyard garden. We had this lust to grow things together.
People
Peggy
The best way I can describe Peggy is that she is the kind of woman you’d want to steal horses with.
Work
A Beautiful Harvest
Each time we speak, it is so obvious to me that people mean a great deal to Louie. He sees farming as an opportunity he can provide to others in their search for purpose, especially youth.
Food
Tending to the Blaze
Trevor Walsh is a fire captain in my hometown. I asked him what firefighters eat while they're out on the job. We caught up on the phone during one of his drives home.
America
Coffee, Gum, and a Brownie on The Hill
Beth Bellizzi was dedicated to her career in politics because she was passionate about supporting the people of her state. But many of her favorite moments of making a difference happened off The Hill.
Food
A Musty School Lunch
Given my background, one would think my work lunch would be a more elaborate affair, But gluing two slices together with dijon was all I felt capable of.
Impact
These Legumes Offer a Leg Up
Women's Bean Project is in two businesses: human services and food manufacturing. "Our goal is to deliver employees to the community who will show up everyday."
The Wild Alone
The small friendship I developed with Louie is multi-generational; it came through my father and his generation's ability to develop and share strong, lifelong connections.
Impact
Vote With Your Feet to End Youth Homelessness
Hippy Feet brings jobs directly to homeless youth, bypassing transportation difficulties and other barriers young people face when seeking employment.
Impact
It's a Beautiful Day for Refugees
Beautiful Day is a thriving nonprofit with a mission "to help refugees, especially youth and the most vulnerable, to enter the job market and become welcomed, self-sufficient members of our community."
Impact
Unaccompanied Minors Become Unstoppable Women
The suburban oasis of RefuSHE offers a healing space where young women recapture their lives and learn to lead through heritage textile arts.
Impact
Impact is the Spice of Life
Burlap & Barrel's online store boasts products from 14 countries, searchable by name, flavor, and use. Each product profile includes a backstory as rich as its flavor, highlighting master farmers and generations of craft.
Impact
Vintners with a Vision for Impact
From humble beginnings, ONEHOPE has emerged as an award-winning winemaker that pioneered ecommerce, but cause has always been at the heart of ONEHOPE.
Impact
Artisans with Heart, Gifts with a Conscience
Preserving traditional Mexican art forms is central to the mission of Amigos Art & Pottery, a retail social enterprise that helps artisans transcend obscurity and poverty by showcasing and selling their wares for a fair price in the US.
Impact
Squeezable Toys, Teachable Moments
Shore Buddies began with a simple yet powerful idea: What if stuffed animals could be made from recycled plastic bottles? This company is proving that toys can be both fun and a force for good.