It was her experience serving the refugees on the island of Lesvos, Greece in 2016, and a lifetime working in the pastry arts, that led Katherine Slevin to found the C. LOVE COOKIE PROJECT, L3C. She has always believed in ‘butter and humanity,’ and with Portland’s growing refugee and asylum-seeking community, she knew there was valuable work to be done here.
The overall goal of the project is to empower the human being and realize the potential of every individual. Personal stories from around the world are showcased on a continuing online storybook on the website, and every cookie on the menu also has a background story. Says Slevin: “I would like to show that we all live on this planet together; we are all here to help one another. Every single person has so much potential for success, and we all deserve a chance.”
The project, a mission-driven business (L3C), gives back 21% of its sales to three local Portland organizations chosen for their direct impact on the international refugee community at varying stages: Way of Life Mission (welcome), Portland Adult Education (education), and the Root Cellar Portland (community).
You can find C. LOVE’s cookies throughout shops in Portland, including Coffee By Design and Standard Baking Co. Slevin has future plans of a baking exchange program with individuals from the international community in order to further the mission.
For more information on the project, follow c.love_cookie_project on Instagram or go to www.clovecookieproject.com.