Who says early birds can’t also be night owls? Last Thursday the staff of Mammoth Espresso ventured out into the evening for A Dark and Stormy Night, a ghoulish party with fantastic costumes, cocktails, food and music. It was all part of the annual fundraising event for Big Class, and we were honored to be part of the food and beverage partners who donated time and services for a worthy cause.

Big Class is a New Orleans-based nonprofit that provides innovative writing programs free-of-charge for under-resourced students. The program allows students, ages 6 through 18, to explore their creativity, improve their writing skills, grow their confidence and discover their voice. In 2015-2016 alone, Big Class served more than 1,200 young people and produced 34 publications featuring their writing. You can read more about their current programs at http://bigclass.org/current-programs/.

While many of New Orleans’ hottest cocktail bars and restaurants were serving haunting drinks and delectable foods, Mammoth Espresso fueled the party with a complimentary cold brew station. It was awesome to be part of such a fun event, and provide support for the work Big Class is doing in our community. Big Class aims to open a youth writing center in New Orleans’ 7th Ward in spring 2017. Donor contributions and ticket sales during this event are key fundraising opportunities for this major project.

Learn more about Big Class and its programs online at http://bigclass.org, where you can also find ways to contribute or purchase incredible books from young New Orleans authors. Our favorite is Do You Like Groceries and Crunchy Things?, a delightful collection of food reviews from first-grade foodies.

All photos taken by Maria Degtiarenko, barista and photographer