Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 

1 John 3:17-18

One very chilly afternoon last week a friend and I passed an hour in one of Northern California’s classic bastions of peace, love, and vegan, organic, raw, local, sustainable food served up in haute hippie style (need I mention that we were in Berkeley?). Menu items in this café, it must be understood, are named for declared graces. Thus, after repeating our order for two cups of “I Am Cozy,” our waitress—festively attired in a paisley dress, argyle knee socks, and a purple crocheted crown—said, “I’ll be right back with your tea. Meanwhile, today’s question is: What can we give away today?

She spun on her heel and left, leaving us to think what, indeed? The masses of stuff in my life began to slog in dreary parade past my mind’s eye. My friend wondered aloud if maybe the better question wouldn’t be, “What should we actually keep today?” Inspired, we set to making lists, which naturally began with loved ones (I’m happy to report that after the merest moment of hesitation, our respective teenage children made the cut).

Yesterday four street kids came in who had heard about the grateful bowl. I explained everything to them and they sat down. When I asked how much they'd like to donate they emptied their change cup full of pennies and said "here."
A woman waiting for a to-go order saw this and handed me five dollars. She said, "This is to cover them."
They saw this and thanked her. The four of them looked so hungry, and happy about the food. For the other customers witnessing this interaction one donated $14, and another paid ten for their bowl after seeing all the generosity.
Yesterday made me feel so excited that we offer the grateful bowl, we are helping so many capable people down on their luck make it through so that they can offer their gifts to the world.
I am inspired.

-Marisa

After working on a Saturday afternoon and evening to catch up with accounting projects, I decided to go home to Vallejo, taking the Ferry at Pier-1, SF.  

Purchase $10 raffle tickets before we draw the winner on August 15th! 

Purchase from any Cafe Gratitude location or Gracias Madre.  The winner will get a $1,000 gift card redeemable at any Northern Californian Cafe Gratitude location and Gracias Madre.

Puppets with a Purpose is a new organization that empowers children and adults to make a positive impact on the world using the magic of their imagination along with easily found free materials. 

Step one is simple, come together and make puppets using recycled, repurposed and reusable materials. Then the second step is to sell the puppets (a healthy joyful alternative to a bake sale) or stage a puppet performance and bring joy and laughter into your community. You can even create a large-scale sock puppet flash mob if you choose, the possibilities are endless.  Now step three is simple, just donate any proceeds to the non-profit organization of your choice, whether it is disaster relief, nutritional programs or books and supplies for children in need.

What started out as a silly idea to raise funds for the rising homeless population in San Francisco, has recently transformed into an empowering and joy filled new way for communities to raise capital any where they are inspired to give.

At Cafe Gratitude, our goal is to be "The Space for All of It."  What we mean is that we can not always choose what or who shows up at our door, but we can choose to be an invitation to whatever shows up, and to greet it with joy and gratitude.

In 1987, Issan Dorsey, a Zen teacher and former Drag Queen, invited a homeless student dying from AIDS to live in what was then the Hartford Street Zen Center.  Issan, a charismatic and colorful leader, founded Maitri there, in the heart of the Castro, and when he passed, left a group of followers devoted to deal with whatever came to the door.  They started the hospice because death came to the door.

Maitri has been providing residential hospice care to patients suffering with AIDS since 1987. They have provided a final home to over 900 people with AIDS, and  14 of their 15 hospice beds are reserved for people who are HUD-defined as low income. They are the only facility in California to offer AIDS-specific residential care to the community.

Dragonfly Crystals is the pilot project of Amanda Self, a former Cafe Gratitude shift leader from our Oakland Whole Foods location.  A few months ago, she struck out on her own to pursue her passion, sharing healing with the world through her beautiful jewelry  creations.

A big part of her job at the Cafe was serving "I am Grateful" bowls, the company's by-donation bowl that makes our food available to everyone,  for a suggested donation.  "I often found that people didn't have any money to donate, so I would buy the grateful bowl for them."

This impulse towards generosity showed itself at Dragonfly Crystals as well.  "I've witnessed many people fall in love with pieces they couldn't afford to buy.  They would walk away feeling disappointed. I wanted  to give it to them, but wasn't sure how to do that while remaining in integrity with my business goals."

I was always the caretaker, tending to the needs of everyone else. It was very difficult for me to do or buy things for myself, I always felt guilty. I had been taught that it is better to give than to receive. I was over 50 before I ever went on a real vacation. I just couldn't spend the money or imagine what I would do. I knew I would feel guilty if I went somewhere without my children and how could I afford to take them? I kept myself busy with work, busy with providing for us. My work defined me, created what I saw as my value. I couldn't imagine spending idle days, doing what? Then Matthew took me to Hawaii and I found myself swimming in warm sea water and simply relaxing, allowing the Aloha spirit to sink in, for the first time in my adult life. It was wonderful and confronting.

I began to realize that when I let someone else contribute to me, I am actually giving them the gift of giving. Again I had to practice this way of giving so that I could learn that it is valuable to allow others to give just as it is also great to receive. I have received a lot in the past several years and this has made a huge difference for me, I had to push past guilty thoughts that I was unworthy, undeserving or would be indebted.  I have learned to love to give and receive.