Friday, January 24, 2020

Eli Wiesels Night and Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities :: Synthesis Essays

Eli Wiesel's â€Å"Night† and Charles Dickens' â€Å"A Tale of Two Cities† Life is not always fair. There is no real explanation for this. In almost all constitutions people are created equal but very rarely are all of them treated this way. But before the French revolution happened very few people even had these rights. Then when WW II came around the Jewish people were targeted by the Nazis. They were stripped of all their rights and basically became slaves to the Nazis party. The Nazis tried to rid Europe of the Jewish people and if they had their way eventually the whole world would be free of this religious group. The character that people show through times of adversity can define them individually and as an entire group. In â€Å"Night† Eli Wiesel faces life and death everyday in the Nazis concentration camp. While in â€Å"A tale of two cities† by Charles Dickens, Carton saves Darnay’s life twice once during a trial and another at the guillotine even though Carton resents Darnay shows mans true potential. â€Å"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times† (Dickens), this famous quote can be applied to more than just the opening of A Tale of Two Cities. In this very moment there are great things going on all over the world. Things like scientific discovers and diplomatic resolutions to international problems are being done right now. There are however many problems happening too. Civil wars and ethnic cleansings occurring in Africa the tsunami that devastated many Asian islands were people are struggling to survive. Yet with all of these things man does not give up we fight on through and that could be mans greatest asset. To fight on even though there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. The most horrific of tragedies ever to happen to man was due to mans evil. The holocaust was a tragedy where over 11 million innocent people were killed for no other reason than there religious beliefs. The most amazing thing though is not the cruelty of man but instead the strength of the human race to fight through even though so many have lost their lives for no reason. Not to say that they never had doubts of whether they were going to make it through. Even the people who before this never had a waiver in their faith had trouble staying strong in belief that God will save them.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Coffee shop business plan Essay

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Inspirational Grounds will provide a relaxing, Christian-focused, neighborhood-centered place with freshly roasted coffee, specialty drinks, good books, and music. Inspirational Grounds is the answer to an increasing demand. Our target market wants: Neighborhood businesses in South Central Minneapolis Great coffee at a competitive price A comfortable place to socialize with others with similar interests Inspirational Grounds’ goal is to provide the community with a social, entertaining atmosphere where Christian neighbors can meet each other in a neutral, non-denominational setting. Inspirational Grounds is incorporated as an S corporation. This will shield the owner from issues of personal liability and double taxation. This proposal is prepared to obtain financing in the amount of $80,000. The supplemental financing is required to prepare the selected site, purchase equipment, and cover expenses during the first year of operation. The owner will invest $15,000 of her own into the business. This financing will allow Inspirational Grounds to successfully open and maintain operations. The large initial capital investment will allow  Inspirational Grounds to provide its customers with an inviting atmosphere and quality products. A unique, upscale and innovative environment is required to provide customers with an atmosphere that will create socialization. Successful operation in year one will provide Inspirational Grounds with a customer base that will allow it to be self sufficient in year two. Even with our conservative sales forecast, we will maintain a positive cash flow in all months, repay the loan in 12 years, and have a positive net worth over $27,000 by year three. We project that our net profits will increase from $12,000 to over $14,000 over the next three years. CHART: HIGHLIGHTS 1.1 OBJECTIVES Inspirational Grounds’ objectives for the first three years of operation include: The creation of a unique, upscale, innovative spiritual environment that will differentiate Inspirational Grounds from local coffee shops. To make Inspirational Grounds the destination for quality coffee in a welcoming atmosphere for people who are serious about their coffee and growing in their spirituality. The formation of an environment that will bring people with diverse backgrounds and interests together in a common forum. To be an active and vocal member of the community, and to provide continual re-investment through participation in community activities and financial contributions. Consistently providing excellent specialty beverages, bakery items, inspirational books, and music. 1.2 KEYS TO SUCCESS The keys to the success for Inspirational Grounds are: The creation of a unique, innovative, upscale atmosphere that will differentiate Inspirational Grounds from other local coffee shops and future coffee shops. Fresh Coffee roasted on-site daily will give customers a unique experience as well as excellent product. Selling beverages and products that are of the highest quality. The creation of an environment that won’t intimidate the spiritual seeker. Inspirational Grounds will position itself as an educational resource for individuals wishing to learn about the benefits of growing spiritually. The establishment of Inspirational Grounds as a community hub for socialization and entertainment. Encourage the two most important values in Christianity: love and service. 1.3 MISSION As people are becoming more interested in their spiritual side, a neighborhood shop with excellent freshly roasted coffee and non-denominational Christian books and tapes, is a welcomed alternative and/or addition to the local church. Inspirational Grounds is a specialty beverage establishment focused on providing freshly roasted coffee beans, coffee/espresso drinks and information to enhance our customers’ spiritual experience. We also understand that coffee drinkers interested in growing spiritually want a destination, not just a location;we provide them with the best of both. Our goal is to be the destination for Christian coffee drinkers seeking a non-secular environment in the Twin Cities area. People of all ages and backgrounds will come to enjoy the unique upscale, educational, motivational and innovative environment that Inspirational Grounds provides. We believe it is important to remain an active member of the community and to impact our customers’ lives in more ways than the selling of specialty drinks. 2.0 COMPANY SUMMARY Inspirational Grounds, Minneapolis’ South Central area, will offer great specialty beverages and easy access to exciting spiritual information. Inspirational Grounds sells quality products and provides excellent customer service for coffee lovers and persons looking to enhance their spiritual experience. We are looking to lease a retail store which we will use to market and merchandise our products. The company took its name in July 2002, and organized as an S Corporation in October, 2003. Our book and music selection and helpful staff will appeal to the audience that is seeking to grow and learn spiritually in this age of uncertainty. This invigorating aspect will attract younger and elderly members alike who are gaining interest in their spiritual condition. The central location will provide easy access from most points of origin throughout the Twin City area for those who will recognize Inspirational Grounds as a destination point, as well as provide local community residents with convenient access to freshly roasted coffee. 2.1 COMPANY OWNERSHIP Inspirational Grounds is incorporated as an S corporation. This will shield the owner Regina Brown from issues of personal liability and double taxation. The Corporation was formed in October of 2003. 2.2 COMPANY LOCATIONS AND FACILITIES The site, Midtown Commons (Also known as the Sears Project), is located in South Central Minneapolis. The initial space is approximately 2,000 square feet and has ample space for the first three years of growth. The complex has ample parking and significant foot traffic from Allina Healthcare Office Facility. This area was chosen for various reasons, including: Proximity to other areas within the Twin Cities; Central location easily accessed. Proximity to the Lyn/Lake and Uptown areas. High Visibility. Proximity to the many local churches in South Central Minneapolis. Diverse population within the community. Desire for South Central Businesses. Scarcity of other coffee houses in the area. Proximity to the light rail depot and 12th Precinct of the Minneapolis police. All of these qualities are consistent with Inspirational Grounds’ goal of providing a community hub for socialization and entertainment. 2.3 START-UP SUMMARY Inspirational Grounds’ start-up costs will cover coffee, espresso, and specialty drink making equipment, micro-roasting equipment, training, site renovation and modification, capital for operating expenses in the first year, and the inventory necessary to provide customers with the information  needed to grow. A large portion of our start-up requirements will go towards the purchase of specialty drink equipment from Espresso Services, Inc. Our long-term assets will include: One espresso machine One micro-roasting system an Espresso grinder/doser water filtration system Expensed equipment includes: A Bulk grinder for drip coffee Single airpot brewer Smoothie blender Minor additional equipment Additionally, we need funding for initial inventory, both for the coffee shop side of things and the other specialty merchandise, books, and music. Music items will be purchased from Provident Music, Diamante Music Group, and New Day Christian Distributors among others. Books and other inspirational material will be purchased from Bridge-Logos Publishers, KCM, Bethany House Distributors, and others. The site Inspirational Grounds chooses will require funds for renovation and modification. A single estimated figure will be allocated for this purpose. The renovation/modification cost estimate will include the costs associated with preparing the site for opening business.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Interview And Tour Of The Grand Rapids Eles Place Branch

The Interview Taylor Drayton and I interviewed Kelly Ahti on February 29th, 2016 at 10:00am. Kelly is the program director of the Grand Rapids Ele’s Place branch. The Interview and tour took place at their rented office space next to the Third Reformed Church on Michigan Street. Ele’s Place holds their groups two nights a week in the church building, and the office space was previously the church Parish, until it was renovated by the Ele’s Place team. The Population Served The main population which is served at Ele’s Place is children, ages 3-18, who have experienced a death. However, they also offer groups for the parents and caretakers of the children receiving services. Ele’s Place serves the people of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Flint,†¦show more content†¦They do this through workshops and training sessions for teachers, school administrators, medical professionals, funeral home staff, hospice staff, and more. Challenges/Barriers One thing that kept coming up in our conversation with Kelly was their need for more funding. They survive completely on donations and receive no state funding. Therefore, Ele’s Place as Kelly put it, â€Å"runs pretty thin.† She said they always need more money for advertising and more staff so that they can reach more children. Across all four branches of Ele’s Place, there are only 51 staff employees. Because of this, they heavily rely on volunteers, which can be a tricky business. We talked about how it’s sometimes hard to keep volunteers accountable and when it takes on average 25 volunteers to run just one night of programs, it can be very difficult when volunteers don’t show up. She also mentioned that because there are so few employees, they all have to wear many hats to keep the programs running. Another challenge that Kelly mentioned was society’s ideas about children and grief. She told us that the Ele’s Place staff is ofte n confronted with this idea that children don’t really grieve, and if they do, it’s only in brief moments and doesn’t require any counseling or services to aid in their recovery. She also noted that there is a stigma around talking about death in our society. Kelly mentioned a local