TheIRC is hosting a Culture Clash event from now until March 7th.

Culture Clash in AmeriCCa – February 18 to March 7

The IRC Microenterprise is partnering with the San Diego Repertory Theatre’s feature play Culture Clash in AmeriCCa. The play will run from February 18 to March 7 at the Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza. As part of the collaboration, IRC will get a portion of the ticket proceeds; however, the buyer must mention IRC during the purchase over the phone or in person (not online).  To purchase tickets, call 619 544-1000.

Culture Clash in AmeriCCa explores changes in America through characters based on interviews with new Americans throughout the country.  For more information about the play including the schedule and prices, please visit the website at: http://www.sdrep.org/event4.aspx

A Taste of New American Cuisine – Saturday, February 27  1 pm

On Saturday, February 27th, the IRC Microenterprise Program will provide a Taste of New American Cuisine to attendees of the 2 pm matinee of Culture Clash in AmeriCCa.  As part of your ticket purchase, you have the opportunity to taste food from refugee caterers from Ethiopia, Somalia, Iraq, and Burma. Be sure to arrive early to enjoy the great food and learn about IRC programs.

For more information about the Taste of New American Cuisine, please contact Lina Shalabli at lina.shalabi@theIRC.org or 619 641-7510 x262.

SWEET TREATS
The Hip, Sleek Ice-Cream Truck for the Young at Heart!

Picture an old school ice cream truck transformed to look like a 1950’s Hot Rod. Then add a killer stereo system, along with a selection of the finest quality ice cream bars, gourmet cookies & brownies, hot drinks, snacks, Gatorade, and Monster Energy drinks. That is the exact idea husband and wife team, Chris and Jennifer, had in mind. With the help of ACCION San Diego, they created not only an idea, but started a small business, cleverly named Sweet Treats.

Sweet Treats officially opened in July 2008 with the idea of bringing back the childhood memory of chasing after the old ice cream truck with money in your hand, but with a modern twist. “We are not your typical ice cream truck,” says one of the Sweet Treats’ owners, Jennifer Saint. “We are ‘Bringing Smiles To People’s Faces…One Lick at a Time!’”

 The Sweet Treats team converted an old delivery truck and added a custom paint job with hand-painted pin-striping. Instead of the traditional ice cream truck jingles used to attract children, the Sweet Treats truck plays their own remix using subwoofers and outdoor speakers and mainly caters to adults.

 In April 2008, the Sweet Treats team applied for a $35,000 loan with ACCION San Diego after being referred by a friend who already had an ACCION loan. After receiving the full amount requested, Sweet Treats purchased a truck and freezers, paid for a custom paint job, installed the sound system, created a company logo, built a website, bought uniforms, and ordered inventory to get started.

 ”There is no other ice cream truck like this in San Diego,” explains Jennifer. “We only carry high quality branded ice cream such as Haagan Daaz, Ben & Jerry’s, Dryers, and Nestle, but we also have a few of the old school favorites such as Big Sticks, Snow Cones and Ice Cream Sandwiches. We even carry Frosty Paws ice cream for your dogs!”

 With less than two years under their belt, Sweet Treats continues to grow and expand its business. Sweet Treats currently specializes in catering special events such as birthday parties, weddings, skate and surf contests, grand openings, community events, trade shows, corporate events, fundraisers, and much more. There is not an event too big or too small that Sweet Treats can’t be a part of!

Sweet Treats recently purchased a second ice cream truck and has incorporated mobile advertising into their business plan. They have developed ideas to work with local businesses to provide them with cutting edge visual marketing. The Sweet Treats truck can be wrapped with a company’s logo and stocked with ice cream that will be distributed to a pre-determined target market that best relates to that companies product or services. This unique approach allows businesses to reach their target audience in the areas which will create the most impact for them. “We offer an effective advertising alternative to traditional media for companies of all sizes,” Jennifer explains.

 Sweet Treats also finds it very important to give back to the community. “We have teamed up with the “Life Rolls On” Foundation, which is a division of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, to make an impact in the community by donating a portion of all of our profits to support the lives of young people that have been affected by spinal cord injuries,” Jennifer says.

Needless to say, Sweet Treats is unlike anything out there! Why throw the same old boring parties when you can use Sweet Treats to add a fun and unique flair to any event?  Call them, you’ll be in for a treat!

ARTICLE BY: ACCION San Diego Staff
ACCION San Diego is a SDMFA partner.

SWEET TREATS
858-761-4908
info@sweettreatstruck.com
www.sweettreatstruck.com

As a collaborative group of microlenders, entrepreneurs, students and business counselors the San Diego Microfinance Alliance understands the key role that microfinance plays in building up a community.  Haiti will certainly need outside support for years to come in the wake of destruction left by the earthquake, dependable access to credit that allows the local economy to prosper will be one of the most important aspects of this rebuilding process. Grameen partners with Fonkoze, an alternative bank in Haiti who helps those who would not qualify for a loan from at traditional banks gain access to credit.

Within the first week of re-opening it’sbranches after the earthquake, Fonkoze delivered more than $1 million in remittances and savings to Haitians. It then worked quickly to bring in an additional $2 million from its account at the City National Bank of New Jersey, working through a unique collaboration of the United Nations, USAID, the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Defense, Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank and City National Bank.

To read an article on Grameen’s Foundation’s work with Fonkoze in Haiti, click here.

For Grameen Foundation’s page on Haiti Relief,  click here.

DONATE NOW 

To help the working poor in Haiti

Click here to read the full article.

Join the CSU Channel Islands community (students, faculty, staff, and administrators) as they welcome Dr. Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.

Yunus is the founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.  In 2006 he was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Grameen Bank “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.”  His incredible story along with the rapid success of Grameen Bank has been a critical component of bringing microfinance global recognition as one of the most effective means of poverty alleviation.  Dr. Yunus is also the author of Banker To The Poor and Creating A World Without Poverty.

Tickets to hear him speak at the Fred Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks may be purchased at Ticketmaster for $20 ($31.75 after fees).

Delegates will have the choice of participating in a wide variety of plenary sessions, workshops, day-long courses, various council meetings, and associated sessions over the course of the four-day Summit. The Summit will also offer field visits to leading Kenyan microfinance institutions.

Some of the groundbreaking plenary sessions include: “Breakthroughs in Using Microfinance to Better End Poverty: A Vision for the Future of Microfinance in Africa and the Middle East”; “Using Microfinance to Improve the Environment and Agriculture: Ensuring Sustainable Livelihoods in Africa and the Middle East”; and “Using Microfinance as a Tool for Building Peace.”  For more information, visit www.microcreditsummit.org.

PLNU Hope Luncheon Invite 11-18-09

The Microfinance 101 course is a 4-week session that covers the history, basic theories, and current trends in the microfinance industry, as well as provide an understanding of how microfinance is being utilized in San Diego today.  Hosted by the San Diego Microfinance Alliance and the Point Loma Nazarene University Microfinance Club, the course is designed to teach participants about how microfinance works as a viable tool for poverty alleviation and engage course participants in ways to become involved as volunteers, investors, or just fans of microfinance.

The course will be taught by a combination of local university professors (University of San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene University) and microfinance practitioners from organizations such as the International Rescue Committee, ACCION San Diego, CDC Small Business Finance and The Foundation For Women

When: 7:00pm-8:30pm Tuesday, October 6th,13th, 20th, and 27th

Purchasing a ticket confirms your registration and reserves your spot at all four October class sessions.

ACCION San Diego client,  Lawrence Wells, was featured on KUSI news for his micro-loan funded business, DLM Marine.

To see the video, use this link: http://www.kusi.com/news/goodmorning/44718117.html?video=YHI&t=a