Activism, Outreach and Education
Walking into The Other Side Donuts, one is greeted with walls of every color, encouraging motifs and toys that make you want to be a kid again. The remnants of a party can be seen bobbing around the ceiling in the form of birthday balloons, and cloud pop-outs glow softly from the ceiling. Customers have written their dreams on slips of paper and posted them up on a wall amongst iridescent streamers. A long case of donuts is displayed like an interactive museum where each section of flavors is its own miniature kingdom of frosting, glaze, fruit and candy.
This novelty donut shop is a non-profit social enterprise: All of the funds go directly into supporting the operations at The Other Side Village — a gated living community that neighbors the donut shop. The Other Side Village is a place where people who have struggled with chronic homelessness have learned life skills, become stabilized and been accepted into a community through dedication to personal growth. Other social enterprises like the donut shop include The Other Side Movers, The Other Side Thrift Boutique and The Other Side Builders.
“The model, at its simplest, is you practice being a good person long enough that you become who you are.”…