7th ANNUAL CHOCOLATE FOR CONGO IS A SUCCESS!
We are happy to share that we raised just under $3400 this year for Action Kivu. Half of this will go to buy laptops for the Congo Peace School. In the current situation, this is a crucial learning tool for the students. The remaining will go toward keeping in-Congo staff paid during this unprecedented time. This will allow them to feed their families and pay for any necessary medical visits.
Thank you to all of the Portland area restaurants and bakeries that participated: Arden, Ava Gene's, Baker & Spice, Bistro Agnes, Bees & Beans, Canard, Clyde Common, Coquine, Dottir at KEX Portland, Estes at Dame, Farina Bakery, Irving Street Kitchen, Le Pigeon, Memoz Cafe, Oui Wine Bar + Restaurant, Ox, Pie Spot, Tusk, Vaux, and Woodlawn Coffee and Pastry
And thank you also to Theo Chocolate for generously donating the chocolate, and to everyone who purchased chocolate desserts in February. We look forward to sharing sweet treats with you all again next year!
21 Portland restaurants and bakeries featured chocolate desserts made with Theo Chocolates all month to benefit Action Kivu.
Treat yourself to fantastic desserts all month long while contributing to a great cause. Chocolate for Congo returns to the Portland area for its 7th year this February. $1 from each mouth-watering dessert benefits Action Kivu - a non-profit investing in the women, children and communities of Congo. Theo Chocolate, which now sources more than 70% of its chocolate from the Congo, has generously donated the chocolate for the benefit.
Some of Portland’s best pastry chefs and award-winning restaurants are among the 21 participating locations. Here’s a sneak peak of what everyone will be serving:
Arden Wine Bar - chocolate caramel miso tart with malt whip and black salt
Ava Gene’s - flourless dark chocolate cake with brown sugar espresso cream and hazelnuts
Baker & Spice - flourless chocolate cakelet
Bees and Beans - reserve bar (chocolate bar with layers of honey caramel and brined hazelnut nougat)
Bee’s Custom Cakes - dark chocolate stout baked donuts, chocolate glaze, and chocolate-salted caramel crispy pearls
Bistro Agnes - opera cake
Canard - cookies and cream paris-brest
Clyde Common - chocolate cream roll cake with caramelized peanut-cocoa nib florentine
Coquine - warm chocolate cake with salted caramel ice cream, shaved “butterfinger” inspired peanut candy, and an amaro nonino chocolate sauce
Dóttir at Kex - grandma helga’s doughnut with cardamom sugar and chocoscotch dipping sauce
Estes + Dame - chocolate budino, hazelnut toffee, marinated kumquat
Farina Bakery - chocolate grand marnier macaron
Irving Street Kitchen - chocolate blackout cake with candied pistachios
Le Pigeon - iced chocolate pudding crunch bar, toasted coconut rice custard, salted cashew croquant, warm vietnamese coffee cream
Memoz Dessert Cafe - build your own flourless chocolate torte
Oui! Wine Bar + Restaurant - dark chocolate and peanut butter torte with hot fudge, malted creme fraiche and potato chip streusel
Ox - warm sticky toffee chocolate pudding cake with vietnamese coffee ice cream and cocoa nib toffee candy
Pie Spot -milk chocolate and pear butter cream pie with cocoa-gingersnap crust and milk chocolate chip whip
Tusk - tehina chocolate mousse torte with a hazelnut-cocoa toffee, labneh whip and tangerine
Vaux - s’mores tart
Woodlawn Coffee & Pastry - chocolate chess pie
Featured chocolate desserts and pastries are available all of February throughout Portland, giving you 29 days to see if you can try them all. Why not have a salted chocolate truffle macaron at Farina Bakery in the afternoon and stop into Oui Wine Bar & Restaurant in the evening for their dark chocolate and peanut butter torte with hot fudge, malted creme fraiche and potato chip streusel? Or if you’re looking for dessert pre or post theater, try out Bistro Agnes’ opera cake or Irving Street Kitchen’s chocolate blackout cake with candied pistachios. Canard is open all day so you can dine anytime and indulge in a cookies and cream paris-brest. Brunch favorite Tusk will be featuring a chocolate mousse torte with a hazelnut-cocoa nib brittle and labneh whip. At Memoz Dessert Cafe, you can create your own dessert based around their flourless chocolate torte. These are just to name a few. To sweeten the deal even more, all this indulgence can be done guilt free because of the incredible work that it is supporting.
The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been plagued with violence for far too long but throughout it all, the Congolese people have persevered and shown incredible resilience. Action Kivu, and their partner organization ABFEC, believe in supporting the people of Congo to be agents for peace as they create a thriving society for all through community-based initiatives and sustainable solutions developed by members of the Congolese community itself. Action Kivu’s entrepreneurial training and the Congo Peace School are rooted in peace and equality.
Seattle-based Theo Chocolate has generously donated the chocolate for this event to benefit Action Kivu, and together these two organizations are making a powerful impact that you can be a part of. Theo Chocolate sources 70% of its chocolate from the Democratic Republic of Congo, supporting more than 4,600 farmers and their families as they reinvest in their community. In a country where reliable employment, education and healthcare are hard to come by, Theo also supports a maternal health initiative that has led to a dramatic difference in maternal and infant mortality rates. Action Kivu partners with ABFEC, a Congolese non-profit. Your support enables direct human to human assistance to those suffering from unspeakable violence, giving them the tools to be agents of peace and change. It also encourages homegrown and sustainable solutions by caring individuals. Click here to read the stories of success to learn how your support is changing lives!
The eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been plagued with violence for far too long. The path to peace is long but Theo Chocolate and Action Kivu are making a real difference in the lives of Congolese people.
For more info on the amazing work of Action Kivu and their partner in the region, ABFEC, please visit their websites: actionkivu.org