Peace Talk — Autumn 2005

As part of our Sustainable Maine Economy project, Peace Action is pleased to honor businesses that are working to create environments and lives that are healthy, peaceful and sustainable. Congratulations and gratitude to Flatbread Company in Portland for its outstanding commitment to these values.

Flatbread’s mission includes: food without pesticides or chemicals; use of locally-grown foods (organic when possible), especially from community farms; education of people about the connection between food and nature; creation of a space where children, adults and employees may renew their spirit; giving back to the community with benefit nights and sponsorships.

Anyone who has been to Flatbread’s can attest to the fulfillment of their mission.

The food is fresh and delicious. The atmosphere is uplifting, filled with interesting writing about food, nutrition and nurturance. There are homemade peace signs and banners and drawings by children. Art is everywhere ­ on walls, hanging from the ceiling, in every nook and cranny. And the stone pizza oven is a work of art made from local materials, its flames creating good cheer throughout the space. It is truly a joyful place.

Since the restaurant opened for business in the summer of 2000, it has invited organizations that share its values to hold benefits on Tuesday nights where $3.50 of the cost of every pizza sold goes to the organization. Flatbread also encourages groups to enhance their earnings by having silent auctions, raffles, music, etc., and to use the event as an opportunity to share information about their mission and programs. So many organizations have benefited from the Tuesday evenings: MOFGA, Maine Women’s Fund, Portland’s Boys and Girls Club, Boyz to Men, and Peace Action to name just a very few.

When the tsunami hit Asia last December, the staff and owners of the Flatbread Company of Portland decided to contribute a dollar for each flatbread sold by the four Flatbread restaurants during the month of January. A total of $16,498.93 was raised for the Sahana Project, which aims to link communities in Maine and other parts of the USA with those affected by the tsunami in Sri Lanka through direct assistance for the reconstruction of Kalametiya village near Kumana bird-life sanctuary on the south-eastern coast of Sri Lanka.

“What we liked about the Sahana Project was that the money went directly to real people whose names we knew,” said Jay Gould, co-owner.

The company also liked the environmental focus of the partnering organization in Sri Lanka. “As a restaurant that is committed to using local produce and organic ingredients whenever possible, with little waste, we felt these were like-minded people who would use the money responsibly,” said Gould.

We have a long way to go to create a state that is truly sustainable. Dismantling of the war economy will be an important part of our work in the next years. Let’s make sure that, now, we go out of our way to support the businesses and organizations that share our core values. Flatbread Company deserves our patronage.