Street Heart

September 6, 2014

“The bread that you store up belongs to the hungry; the coat that lies in your chest belongs to the naked; the gold that you have hidden in the ground belongs to the poor.”
~ St. Basil

TheStreetStore-

The Street Store is a one day, rent-free, open space pop-up clothing store designed as a new way to make used clothing donations available to people who are low-income, have no income or are homeless.  Each event takes place on the street and is organized and managed by the local community.  Clothing, shoes and accessories are brought to the space the day of the event and hung up on cardboard signs that also function as clothes hangers.  The signs turn a sidewalk, fence or wall into a temporary shop display.  Volunteers receive the donations and help with display and then assist those in need with wrapping up the items that they choose.  In this way, the recipients of the donations are able to look over what is available and choose what they want to take, which is a more dignified way for them to receive help.

The first Street Store took place in Cape Town, South Africa in January 2014.  The concept was developed in conjunction with a homeless shelter by two advertising agents, Kayli Levitan and Max Pazak, as a way to streamline the giving process and bring the dignity of individual choice to those in need.  The Street Store is not a clothing drive, but a one day event.  Those donating and those receiving attend the event simultaneously.

Regarding the initial event, founder Kayli Levitan tells this inspiring story:
“On our very first day, we were standing around waiting for donations.  We were so nervous that no one would arrive.  Suddenly, a man dropped off one item.  About 2 minutes later, a gentleman came past in a shabby suit and completely broken shoes.  He asked what was going on and told us that he was going to a job interview.  He didn’t need clothes but desperately needed shoes.  And, by luck or fate, the one item that had just been donated was a pair of men’s leather shoes in his exact size.”

The Street Store 2

The creators have now made the project available online for anyone to host in their own community.  Many successful Street Stores have already been organized in cities around the world.  If you would like to organize a one-day Street Store in your town, visit thestreetstore.org to apply.  You will receive a dropbox link with access to how-to instructions as well as designs for t-shirts and marketing materials.

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Coco Mocha Milkshake gets its kick from the addition of a bit of strong coffee to coconut milk and chocolate ice cream. The flavors of coconut and coffee go surprisingly well together.

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Coco Mocha Milkshake
This sophisticated and scrumptious milkshake is a simple combo of light coconut milk, super-premium chocolate ice cream and good, strong coffee with a hint of vanilla.  If the ice cream is frozen hard, let it soften just a bit before blending.

1/2 cup light coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/4 cup strong coffee or espresso
2 cups (1 pint) super-premium dark chocolate ice cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into two glasses.  For a thicker shake, place glasses in freezer for a few minutes.

Serves 2

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