Vegan Bakesale: Feed the people, help the dogs and the kids

Yesterday, during lunch with friends and a foster dog, a woman we've never met jumped out of her van with a big warm blanket for my foster dog, who must've been looking chilly under my chair. California winters may be tropical by midwest standards, but they're still winter! She swaddled him up until he was swallowed in swirl of fuzzy red Elmos, patted his big fat head, smiled big and then said, "When you leave, you can put it back in my van. It'll be unlocked." And it was, and we did. Our hearts melted. What a beautiful, perfectly random act of kindness!

Next weekend, a not so random act of the same kind is being organized by a group of bakers who want to help our dogs as well as local school kids who are learning about urban farming. They'll be baking all week long in prep for a vegan bake sale that will take place in front of the most wonderful Issues Magazines store in Oakland, just round the corner from Peets on Piedmont Ave. How cool! I can't wait. Proceeds go to BR as well as the School Garden Program of Laurel Elementary School. Come on down this Saturday Jan 9 from 11-4, grab some sweets, meet some BR dogs and say hello to some of the nicest bakers around. And while you wait for Saturday to get here, see how many random acts of kindness you can extend to the chilly creatures that you meet this first week of the new year. It could become a trend!

Thank you East Bay Vegan bakers for your big hearts and your labor of love!