THIS SATURDAY - November 19 Market to Table - Thanksgiving Edition!

Join volunteers from Healthy World Cafe as we pay tribute to Thanksgiving dishes and this wonderful holiday. Taking inspiration from what's locally in-season, Chef and Guiding Committee Chair Sean Arnold and his team have created a collection of recipes guaranteed to inspire you.

The live cooking demonstration will take place at the Rojahn Performance Kitchen inside York's Central Market House. The Markethouse is located on N. Beaver St., between W. Market St. and W. Philadelphia St.

Copies of recipes will be available, as will more information about Healthy World Cafe and our mission. We continue in our active fundraising and "friendraising" stage of our evolution, and are so proud to be complementing what's happening in our local farming community.

Come one, come all, taste our food and plan your Thanksgiving menu around whats fresh in York county!

Bon Jovi Opens Soul Kitchen in NJ

Congratulations on the opening of another pay-as-you-can 

community cafe!

Join the Healthy World Cafe at the Mother Earth Fair on Saturday!

We are looking for a few volunteers to help us at the Fair - contact Colleen if you are available to help:
cdwyer25 (at) comcast.net
Thank You!

Thanks for a Great Event!

Thank you to all who bought tickets, donated items for the silent auction, provided food for our fabulous dinner, or volunteered alongside us to make Market to Table a great success!  We were thrilled to see all of you and come together as a community to celebrate local food that's good for you.  Each step we take together moves Healthy World Cafe closer to opening.  We can't wait to pop-up again!

Note:  The September Advisory Group meeting will be held on Monday, September 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Friends Meeting House, W. Philadelphia St.  We are rescheduling the meeting due to the Labor Day holiday.  Hope to see you there!

You can see more photos on our Facebook page.

HWC Presents: Market to Table at York's Central Market!

**UPDATE**
If you're coming to Saturday's "Market to Table" Fundraiser, please enter Central Market through the W. Philadelphia St. entrance.  See you on Saturday!

We've got some great silent auction items up for bid thanks to our wonderful downtown partners! Here is a sample of what you could take home:

• Chef's Brunch for 12 in your home by Chef Sean Arnold

• LeAnn Rimes Tickets at the Pullo Center

• "Groundskeeper for a Day" VIP Package from York Revolution

• Package of 10 art lessons from Brenda Wintermyer

• Photography Package courtesy Ken Bruggeman Photography

• Private Winery Tour and Tasting from Allegro Vineyards

...and much, much more...
items from Sweet Melissa's Dream, Kimman's, Sunrise Soap Co., Nuts About Granola, JR's Fries, Outside the Cake Box, Central Market...there's something for everyone!

Join Healthy World Cafe at our Market to Table Fundraiser at York's Central Market House.  Join Chef and Guiding Committee Chair Sean Arnold and HWC members and volunteers as we celebrate the bounty of fresh, locally available food.  A festive evening of food and drink will celebrate local farmers and markets, local music and art, and a silent auction of fabulous items donated by local businesses and HWC supporters.  Art will be provided by RAW: Realizing Artistic Worth.  We'll have a few surprises as well!

Market to Table is Saturday, August 20, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., at Central Market, W. Philadelphia St. side.  Suggested donation is $40 per person and tickets are available online (see the ticket sales box to the right - here on our website).  Tickets will also be available at the door.

Come one, come all, enjoy an evening downtown, and most of all, come to support Healthy World Cafe!

New Letter of Support ! Thank You Pullo Center!

HWC brings "Market to Table" Series to York's Central Market

On July 9, Healthy World Cafe's Guiding Committee Chair Sean Arnold teamed up with other volunteers to demonstrate three recipes featuring fresh zucchini and squash at the Rojahn Performance Kitchen inside York's Central Market House.  Thanks to all who stopped by.  We will have a second performance on July 23.

Chef Sean Arnold and Guiding Committee Member Patricia Fonzi

Fresh, local, in-season ingredients.
Well, lemons aren't local, but we bought them locally.

The July 23 performance will feature locally grown fruits in season.  Recipes will be available at the events and posted to the HWC Facebook page.

The demonstrations will take place each Saturday, from 10 a.m. until Noon, at the Rojahn Performance Kitchen, inside Central Market.  The performances are free and open to all.

Sean is a graduate of Elon College and the Culinary Institute of America.  He takes inspiration from whatever he finds available from local farmers and the farm markets.

Plans are coming together for Healthy World Cafe's first "pop-up" restaurant.  We will open for the evening of August 20, at Central Market House.  Food will be prepared in the YorKitchen, and served in the seating area on the W. Philadelphia St. side of the market house.  Dinner selections will also feature the "Market to Table" theme.  Local art, music, food, and of course, friends of HWC will fill the space and add to the excitement.  Watch our website for more information on this event and how you can be a part of it!

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and "like" us on Facebook.  See you at Market!

Tastes of York a Success & July's Advisory Group Meeting Info

Healthy World Cafe joined dozens of local farm markets, restaurants, agencies, and foodies at the first annual "Tastes of York" held recently at Spoutwood Farms.  We had an opportunity to meet tons of interesting and interested people, who had a chance to hear about HWC and taste some of our delicious food.  We served Pea Hummus, made from fresh, local peas, and spread the word about our community cafe.

Healthy World's next Advisory Group meeting will be on Tuesday, July 5, due to the Independence Day Holiday.  We will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Friends Meeting House.  Please join us and bring a friend!

 Even kids loved our Pea Hummus!

Thanks to all who came out, and thanks to Spoutwood Farms!  What a great event.

HWC's Community Garden Plots are in!

Our raised beds have been constructed, dirt and compost delivered, and thanks to our wonderful volunteers, our beds have been planted!  Special thanks to Dave Miller of Miller's Plant Farm, who donated vegetable plants to our effort.  The community gardens are sponsored by York County 4-H/Penn State Cooperative Extension.  Healthy World Cafe's efforts are under the coordination of Robin Pflieger, Advisory Group and Food Subcommittee member.  Thanks to Robin and all of our volunteers.

There will be a ribbon cutting for the Community Garden at 234 S. Pershing Ave., York City, on Tuesday, June 14, at 11:00 a.m.  York City Mayor Kim Bracey will join us in celebration.  Please join us!

Our next Healthy World Cafe Advisory Meeting will be held on Monday, June 6, 6:30 p.m., Friends Meeting House, 135 S. Philadelphia St.  All are welcome to attend.

Thanks to Miller's Plant Farm!

Help kick start HWC's Community Garden Plot

Healthy World Cafe has partnered with York County 4-H and Penn State Cooperative Extension on their Community Garden initiative.  We have four raised garden beds at the community garden located at 234 S. Pershing Ave. in York City.

We need help building beds and planting at the site on Saturday, May 21, between the hours of 9 a.m. - Noon.  If you can help, e-mail us at healthyworldcafe@gmail.com.  Join Us!

There will be a ribbon cutting at the community garden with a dedication from York City Mayor Kim Bracey on June 14, at 11 a.m.  Join Healthy World Cafe and support community gardening in York!

Olde York Street Fair

Watch for Healthy World Cafe at the Olde York Street Fair this Sunday, May 8.  The fair's hours are 12:30 - 6 pm, along Market St. downtown.  HWC will have an informational booth where we'll be telling everyone about HWC, handing out brochures, information, and SEEDS!

If you're planting your garden, and we hope you are - pick up some vegetable seeds at our booth along the 200 block of E. Market St. 

Look for us on Sunday!

Help HWC Keep the Momentum Going!

As you know, HWC is the recipient of the YorIT Social Venture funding.  Help us keep the momentum building toward our opening.  Here's how you can help:

Have a green thumb?  Like digging in the dirt?  Help create our Community Garden Plot, HWC will participate in the York City community garden at 234 S Pershing Street. LOTS of work ahead preparing, planting, tending garden. If interested, please e-mail us at healthyworldcafe@gmail.com.

Help us spread the word about HWC at these upcoming events:

Olde York Street Fair, May 8th, 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. to staff a table with seed packets and brochures / share info about HWC.  Again, if you can help us, send an e-mail with your availability.

Advisory Group Meeting, Monday, June 6, 6:30 p.m., Friends Meeting House.  Advisory Group meetings are open to all, and we always welcome new advisory group members.  Bring a friend!

There are plenty of ways to help HWC in the coming weeks!  Get involved, volunteer, contribute.  Help us make HWC a reality!

HWC Wins YorIT Social Venture Challenge and $20K in funding!

Reprinted from www.yorit.org:

YorIT Social Venture Challenge  

Healthy World Cafe Receives $20,000 as Winner of 2011 YorIT Social Venture Challenge

April 8th, 2011 – Tonight the YorIT membership selected Healthy World Café as the winner of this year’s Social Venture Challenge and the recipient of $20,000 in start-up funds. Healthy World Café is a 21st-Century, nonprofit restaurant concept in downtown York that will provide healthy meals made from local ingredients at a price each customer decides he/she can afford. The Café will offer an accessible community gathering place where all are welcome and local food, art and music are promoted. Healthy World Café seeks to offer a new dining experience that brings people to downtown York and supports the local economy. Funding from YorIT will support the start-up costs for the Healthy World Café, which plans to be self-sustaining within a year of opening. Philanthropic Endeavors is the fiscal agent for this initiative.

YorIT members made their decision following live pitches from all three Social Venture Challenge finalists: Downtown Delivered, Healthy World Café and Y-FI. The event took place at the Capitol Theatre in Downtown York before a live audience made up of YorIT members, mentors and supporters, as well as interested community stakeholders, potential investors and members of the public. Members who were unable to attend the Finalist Event in person were encouraged to submit their vote by proxy.

The YorIT Social Venture Fund was created through the annual contributions of YorIT members to effect change in our community in a way that is meaningful to our generation. Our membership seeks to fund passionate and creative individuals with ideas that are innovative, feasible and sustainable, and which may not have attracted support from traditional funding sources.

The goal of this year’s YorIT Social Venture Challenge was to fund initiatives with the potential to help attract and retain restaurants and retailers in Downtown York. YorIT used social media, public relations and a guerilla marketing effort to generate interest in this year’s Challenge, which yielded seven exciting video proposals from non-traditional applicants. The videos, uploaded to YouTube, have attracted hundreds of viewers and demonstrate the creative energy Yorkers offer to our community.

The YorIT Challenge Committee, after declaring any potential conflicts of interest, screened those proposals for initial feasibility and potential impact and invited four groups in for second round interviews. Again, potential conflicts were declared and committee members abstained from interviews and deliberations as appropriate. The Selection Committee ultimately narrowed the field down to two finalists, who were soon joined by a third who was able to take the steps recommended by the Committee in order to move them forward as finalists.

We were very proud to put forward three compelling and uniquely different ideas to benefit our downtown. Each was vetted for feasibility, sustainability and potential impact. It is our hope that while Healthy World Café is the recipient of this year’s Challenge Funds, all three finalists will have found the evening to be a platform from which their initiatives were able to generate interest and support from the greater community.

You can learn more about the Healthy World Café at their website: www.healthyworldcafe.org

Also please view their video proposal here:

Healthy World Café: View Video Below you will find some brief information about the other two finalists, including a link to the video proposal that they submitted to be considered for this year’s challenge. We encourage you to contact each group directly for more information about their initiatives and how you might support their efforts. 2011 YorIT Social Venture Challenge Finalists: Downtown Delivered is bicycle delivery service for downtown restaurants and food vendors. Beginning two days a week with Central Market vendors, the company seeks to bring market-fresh meals to time-strapped downtown businesses and families, while offering downtown restaurants and retailers an opportunity to increase sales. The company has a commitment to providing quality, fresh foods, delivered on bicycles to reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion. The critical feature of this service is the development of an online ordering system that keeps track of available products in real-time. Funding from YorIT would have supported the development of the software and initial start-up costs for Downtown Delivered. Philanthropic Endeavors is the fiscal agent for this initiative. Downtown Delivered: View Video Y-FI is an existing community wireless internet project, sharing local resources to benefit the community at large and support economic growth in Downtown York City. The proposal seeks to significantly expand the Y-FI wireless network in York’s Central Business District. Y-FI, under the exclusive direction of Bob Mock, has already established wireless systems in Central Market and several other downtown businesses, making them “third places” where individuals can hang out and stay in touch. Funding from YorIT would have allowed the network to expand its reach by adding approximately 30 additional wireless points and providing back-up technical support. The more connections that are established, the greater the strength of the network. Y-FI recently partnered with the York County Economic Development Corporation (YCEDC) and its nonprofit subsidiary PEDYC, strengthening the initiative’s sustainability and scalability. Y-fi: View Video http://www.myyfi.com/. Thank you for your support as we continue to seek creative and compelling ideas to improve the quality of life in our community. We look forward to sharing information about next year’s Challenge in the months to come.

Drum Roll, Please...

The Healthy World Café is pleased to announce that we have been selected as finalists for the YorIt Social Venture Challenge! We have been invited to pitch our idea to the full YorIt members at their meeting on Friday, April 8, 2011. Again, many thanks to all of the people who contributed to the video ideas and production-- we couldn't have done it without so many people contributing their ideas, skills and talents.

Please join us at our next Advisory Group Meeting on April 4, 6:30 pm, Friends Meeting House, 135 W. Philadelphia St. to help us achieve this next milestone-- receiving our first funding! We need you to help brainstorm and plan for our pitch and share your creative ideas. We’ll also be discussing our recently-finalized business plan and our upcoming fundraising and volunteer opportunities.

News, Events, and How You Can Help HWC

What We’re Up To and What’s Next

It’s been a busy few months for the Healthy World Café! First, we’d like to take a minute to thank the many people who helped us develop and submit our video to the YorIt Social Venture Challenge Grant competition. From the songwriters, the musicians, to the actors, to the professional and amateur chefs that prepared the food for the filming, to the volunteers who sampled and tasted as well as acted, to the vendors and businesses who opened their doors to us, and all the volunteers who did voiceover, edited footage, took photos, and generally gave of their time and talent…. words can’t express our thanks.

We are very proud of everyone’s work on this, we’ve learned a lot, and have been inspired by how many others share the vision for opening this cafe. And now we’ve got this amazing video that helps to communicate who we are and what we are about to be. Please share it widely to help tell our story and keep up all of the momentum we’ve built. And keep your fingers crossed – as we’ve been invited to the next stage in the YorIT competition!

From the business end of things, we’ve begun developing our marketing materials, including a brochure, logo and letterhead. Our Facebook, blog, and Twitter pages are being updated regularly to keep people informed about HWC and all of our partners and supporters. We braved the weather to staff a display at the York County Agri Business Council Recognition Banquet on January 26. We’ve joined Downtown, Inc. and the York County chapter of Buy Fresh, Buy Local. HWC was featured in the YorkCounts Blog, “Count Me In.” Two guiding committee members attended a summit in Santa Fe hosted by other cafes with similar business models to help groups just like us who are getting one started. We’re finalizing a business plan, a marketing plan and a fundraising plan, and we will be posting these documents soon to seek feedback from all of you. And guess what? Our fundraising efforts are already starting to pay off!

What’s Next?

There are many opportunities in the coming weeks to get more involved with and learn more about the Healthy World Café.

• February 28, "Open Mind Mic," 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., Bistro 19, 19 N. George St.,  sponsored by Think Drink.  Healthy World Cafe will be one of the topics discussed at this new, open, community dialogue.

• March 4, “RAW: Realizing Artistic Worth,” 6 p.m. – 10 p.m., 116 E. King St., hosted by local artist Shannon Sylte.  This event is being presented in conjunction with First Friday and will feature Healthy World Café to raise awareness, (and hopefully some funds!)

• March 7, HWC Advisory Group Meeting, 6:30 pm, Friends Meeting House, 135 W. Philadelphia St.,  Jump right in with your ideas and feedback. Or just come to learn a little more about HWC. We’ll be discussing our business plan, our fundraising plan and our next steps.

• March 12, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., we plan to have a team on the streets spreading the word about HWC.

• April 4, HWC Advisory Group Meeting, 6:30 pm, Friends Meeting House, 135 W. Philadelphia St.

• April 23, “Going Green in the City,” 10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m., along N. Beaver St.  Come visit us and view our display to spread the awareness of HWC.

How You Can Get Involved and Help

We’re recruiting volunteers to help with all of these events, both by attending, distributing information about HWC and staffing our information tables. Send us an e-mail or post to our Facebook page if you’d be interested in helping out for an event.

Follow-us on Twitter and Facebook.

Set some time aside and review and give us feedback on our business, marketing and fundraising plans (these will be posted to our Google Groups page in the very near future).

Donate funds. And ask others to match your donation. You can donate funds online (follow the Paypal button).

Attend an advisory group meeting to learn more and share your thoughts with us. These are held the first Monday of every month at the Friends Meeting House, 135 W. Philadelphia St. The food is always great and the company is even better.

Keep checking in with us for updates and other volunteer opportunities. Let’s all work together to make the Healthy World Café a reality.

What is the Healthy World Cafe?

Take a look at our introductory video, produced for the YorIT Social Venture Challenge.  This describes our effort to bring Healthy World Cafe to downtown York.