Casteel Coffee Celebrates Grand Opening of new Chicago Cafe with Week of Promotions

Hey Green Moms, check this out if you're in Chicago!

Renowned for its "fresh from our roaster to your cup" quality, Casteel Coffee of Evanston announces a new cafe site in the famed Aqua building on Columbus in Chicago with a week of special promotions February 22 through February 26, with the Grand Opening Day on February 25.

Casteel Coffee @ Aqua offers freshly roasted coffee, baked goods, sandwiches and paninis Monday through Friday from 6AM to 5PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 7AM to 4PM. Carol Harris, founder and owner of Casteel Coffee emphasizes, "At Casteel, our artisan approach to coffee provides a difference that our customers have appreciated for more than a decade in Evanston, so we are pleased and proud to offer another cafe site, now in downtown Chicago."

As part of the week long celebration, Casteel Coffee @ Aqua's Grand Opening Day is Thursday, February 25. From 8AM to 11AM, customers will be treated to a Fair Trade market of tastes and treats: bakery and Mariage Freres tea product samples, Fair Trade displays, special 20% off on all World of Good purchases, free coffee travel mugs ($8 value) with coffee drink purchase and live music. Roastmaster Joshua Millman will be on site to offer free coffee tastings and roasting information.

February 22, Monday through Friday, Casteel @ Aqua welcomes all to the new site at 225 N Columbus with:

Monday: $1 Small Lattes
Tuesday: Free Small Drip Coffee with purchase of any baked good
Wednesday: Free Soft Drink with purchase of any sandwich or panini
Thursday: Grand Opening Thank you--Free Stainless Travel Mug ($8 value) with purchase of any coffee drink (while supplies last, one per customer) and 20% off all World of Good purchases
Friday: 25% off Fair Trade Guatemala at $9 per lb per lb special price

With an eco friendly design and easy to find location at 225 N Columbus, Casteel @ Aqua is a destination coffee cafe with the added value of high speed wifi. The cafe offers fair trade coffees as part of its corporate mission to protect and support coffee farmers, and is an active community supporter, with outreach to schools, community centers, religious organizations and not for profit events.

For more information, visit www.casteelcoffee.com.

Demand Healthy Funding Boost for Child Nutrition Act

Renegade Lunch Lady launches letter-writing campaign: One More Dollar for Healthy School Food

The Child Nutrition Act, slated for reauthorization this year, serves up a rare opportunity for healthier funding of school lunches. Chef Ann Cooper, aka the Renegade Lunch Lady, in partnership with Slow Food USA, Roots of Change, and Healthy Schools Campaign, is rallying a million moms and dads to write Congress demanding an additional subsidy of $1 per lunch.

Cooper is providing templates of letters requesting a budget increase to underwrite real (not highly processed) food for school kids: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, clean proteins and natural dairy products, with a priority on regionally produced food. This letter-writing campaign launches on the heels of the Obama administration's proposed $1 billion budget increase for school lunch subsidies. Cooper and her allies say this increase is not enough to feed our children well.

"We have the opportunity to make a positive impact and teach children about healthy food choices, which will influence their long-term health," said Cooper. "The Child Nutrition Act has not changed in 15 years and the time to help 31 million schoolchildren is now."

The Child Nutrition Act, reauthorized every five years, pays $12 billion to feed breakfast and lunch to schoolchildren, averaging only $2.68 per day for each child. Cooper and numerous nonprofit organizations and health-conscious companies are calling for an increase in funding - a dollar a day per student - dedicated 100 percent to food that promotes better health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity is the most commonly diagnosed medical condition of childhood and is a risk factor for many other diseases, including high blood pressure, asthma and type 2 diabetes.

Constituents can find the advocacy letter template at www.lunchboxadvocates.org and view informational videos at http://vimeo.com/9185123 and http://vimeo.com/9181529.