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OTTO Partners with FEED KIDS and Cooking Matters to combat food insecurity

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At OTTO, we strongly believe in investing in our communities, and are proud to support a variety of causes and local organizations. Since we opened our doors in 2009, we’ve worked with over 500 organizations – from hosting fundraisers, to sponsoring teams, and handing out pizza to 5k participants – giving back is an important part of what we do.

As OTTO continues to grow and expand into new communities, we are continuously redefining the ways in which we give back. It is important that we are intentional and impactful with our reach, and that we’re able to align our core values with our giving. As a restaurant, one issue that is extremely important to us is food insecurity. We believe that no child should ever go hungry, and that families, schools, and communities should have the tools and resources to combat food insecurity. We’ve recently partnered with organizations in Maine and Massachusetts which aim to do just that – end child hunger in our communities, and provide families with the resources to connect them to healthy and affordable food options. Starting March 1, OTTO will be donating $1 from every monthly special pizza sold to FEED KIDS in Maine, and to Cooking Matters in Massachusetts.

Full Plates, Full Potential – FEED Kids

Full Plates, Full Potential is an organization dedicated to ending child hunger in Maine. “[Their] work focuses on increasing participation in school breakfast, after school meals, and summer meal programs.” We are proud to say that we are now one of their FEED KIDS Partners, and will be donating $1 of every monthly special pizza sold in Maine to Full Plates, Full Potential.

Cooking Matters MA

Cooking Matters is a campaign developed by Share Our Strength; a nonprofit that aims to end poverty and hunger. More specifically, Cooking Matters aims to end childhood hunger by “inspiring families to make healthy, affordable food choices. [Their] programs teach parents and caregivers with limited food budgets to shop for and cook healthy meals.” Cooking Matters helps connect low-income families with the tools and resources to prepare healthy food on a budget. OTTO will donate $1 of every monthly special pizza sold in Massachusetts to Cooking Matters.

Follow us to learn more about how we will be working with these two organizations to help end child hunger in our communities.

2014: A Year of Giving Back

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Since opening its first little slice shop on Congress Street in Portland in 2009, giving back has been an big part of what OTTO does. From day one, co-owners Anthony Allen and Mike Keon believed that it was important to better the communities in which OTTO does business, and this sentiment reverberates through the growing independent chain today.

10414491_806020339409898_4134071848483003687_nIt is not lost on us that without having been embraced and supported over the past 5+ years by our communities, we would not be able to grow this sentiment into an integral part of the chain’s culture.

We are now running weekly fundraiser series in four locations in two states. In addition to these, we provide many in-kind donations to many deserving charities and community organizations throughout the year.

OTTO has been fortunate enough to have donated to over 250 organizations in Maine, Massachusetts and beyond in 2014. We are extremely grateful to be in a position to do so. Perhaps more so, we are thankful for the many wonderful organizations (and those who keep them operating) who tirelessly work to better our communities in so many ways.

As we look back on 2014, we want to acknowledge some of the great organizations that we have had the pleasure of working with in some capacity.

Thank you for all you do.

MAINE:
48hour Film Festival10491185_10154228467515464_5172975192474676961_n
American Diabetes Association
American Red Cross
An Evening of Promise
Animal Refuge League
Art Play Nursery School
Barbara Bush Cures for Kids
Bayside Community Health Fair
Borgen Project
Boys and Girls Club of Southern Maine
Camp Twitch & Shout
Cape Elizabeth Girl’s Volleyball
Cape Elizabeth High School Baseball
Cape Elizabeth High School’s Mock Trial Team
Cape Elizabeth Project Graduation
Children’s Association for Maximum Potential
Children’s Museum of Maine
Co-op Nursery School1979493_879431622068769_3191938351394253805_n
Coastal Studies for Girls
Cultivating Community
Deering High School
Easter Seals ME
Empowering Young Women
Environmental Health Strategy Center
Family Crisis Services
Florence House
Free The Children
Freeze out Hunger
Friends of Feral Felines
Gorham High School Girl Up
GLSEN
Hall School
Hardy Girls Healthy Women
Holy Cross School10174868_10152261591462839_5044234833510577421_n
Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership
Husky Harvest
Junior League of Portland
King Middle School
Knights of Columbus Cheverus Council
Learning Works
Levy Day School
Longfellow Elementary School
Love, People
Lucy K Fund
Lucky Pup Rescue
Lyric Music Theater
Magic Matinee
Mahoney Middle School
Maine Books for Maine Kids
Maine Cancer Foundation10155329_770606132951319_527890677_n
Maine Children’s Cancer Fund
Maine Freedom Project
Maine Island Trail Association
Maine Military Museum
Maine Narrow Gauge
Make A Wish Maine
March of Dimes
Maine Children’s Cancer Program
Mechanics Hall
Michael Pecha Cancer Fund
Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization
Muscular Dystrophy Association
Musica De Filia
National Tourette Syndrome Association
Parkside Neighborhood Association
Pets for Vets10310591_793342390677693_2702114172873646891_n
Planned Parenthood
Port Resources
Portland Buy Local
Portland Education Foundation
Portland High School
Portland Public Library
Portland Stage Company
Portland Sunshine Rotary
Portland Trails
Portland Veterans Acupuncture Clinic
Portland Youth Dance
Preble Street Teen Center
SailMaine
SealsFit
Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine
Silent Sidekicks
South Portland Food Cupboard1545826_738917119453554_1571773475_n
South Portland High School
South Portland High School Robotics
South Portland High School Soccer
South Portland Swim Boosters
South Portland High School Project Graduation
SPACE Gallery
Spindleworks
The Children’s Trust
The South Portland Historical Society
The Telling Room
UNE Medication Collection
Voter Education Brigade
Winship Memorial Fund
WMPG
Women in Harmony
YMCA for Adaptive Services

MASSACHUSETTS:
Alzheimer Association’s RunTriRide
American Red Cross10276025_437417973060256_6145661167063435402_n
Amphibious Achievements
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston College Relay for Life
Boston Collegiate Charter School
Boston Minstrels
Boston University China Care Fund
Boston University Occupational Therapy
Boston Workman’s Circle
Brian D. Silver Memorial Fun
Brookline Boys Basketball
Brookline Early Education Project
Brookline Food Coop
Brookline High School
Brookline Teen Center
BU 85 Broads
BU Center for Gender Sexuality
BU China Care Fund10367818_794314320580500_6700202918988191713_n
BU College of Fine Arts
BU Ellevate
BU Global Water Brigades
BU Law Public Interest Project
BU Marketing Club
BU Outing Club
BU Pre-Law Review
BU Relay for Life
BU Sargent College- Ghana Volunteer Trip
BU Senior Theatre Arts Majors Productions
BU Sigma Beta Rho
BU Unite for Sight10168161_788494334495832_2633235171370483254_n
BU Water Polo
Cambridge Community Chorus
Children’s Center for Communication
Congregation Kehillath Israel
Coolidge Corner Community Chorus
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Cross Keys Retreat
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Destination ImagiNation- Lynnfield HS
Edward Devotion School
EMARC
Engineers Without Borders
Evening with Champions
FairTrade (Harvard U.)
Family Equality Council
Fenway Health
Friends of Buker
Friends of Lynnfield Library
Gathering Change
Global Water Brigades
Greenwood Elementary
Harvard China Care
Helping Hands for Homeless
Huckleberry Hill Elementary School
Humanist Community at Harvard
Lawrence School PTO10267777_784309914914274_5710944405256697106_n
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Lynnfield High School
Lynnfield Pioneer Football Club
Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress
Massmouth
Melrose Humane Sociaty
Morse Elementary School
Nashoba Learning Group
NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans)
Newbury College Alumni Committee
Newburyport River Run
North Shore Scleroderma
Northeast Parent Advisory Council
Omega Phi Alpha
Pan-Mass Challenge Team Paul & Eve
Partners in Health10525905_761604797231921_5668220597958144632_n
River Relay for Real Lives
Rodman Ride for Kids
Safe Passage
Science Club for Girls
Sinclair Firefighters Benefit
Smart Woman Securities
St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital
Stock Our Shelves
Summer St. Elementary PTO
Temple Ohabei Shalom
Unite for Sight
WGBH
With Certainty Project
Wounded Warrior Project

OTTO’s Fundraiser Series – Updated Schedule for Boston and Portland

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Several great reasons to eat an entire pizza without feeling guilty.

PrintOTTO is pleased to be hosting an ongoing series of fundraiser nights to benefit regional charities and community organizations. At each event, a portion of sales will be donated to the dedicated organization.

The series began in February of 2013, and runs in both Maine and Massachusetts, with Maine fundraisers taking place at OTTO’s 574 Congress Street expansion, and the Massachusetts fundraisers taking place at OTTO’s BU location at 888 Commonwealth Avenue. The events are from 5pm – 9pm unless otherwise noted.

So far this year, the fundraisers have raised thousands of dollars for area organizations.

In addition to raising funds, OTTO owners and staff hope the events will help raise awareness, encourage dialogue, and provide a venue for networking, brainstorming, and speaking with potential volunteers.

OTTO encourages charities, schools, and organizations to reach out to discuss opportunities. Those interested should send an email to contactus@ottoportland.com.

As of this writing the schedule is as follows (all dates are subject to change):

OTTO 574 Congress St. Portland (Arts District)
October 1 – Sweetser
October 8 – League of Young Voters
October 15 – Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
October 22 – South Portland High School Project Graduation 2014
October 29 – Spurwink
November 5 – Falmouth High School Girls Softball
November 12 – Silent Sidekicks
November 19 – UNE Marine Animal Rehabilitation and Conservation Program
November 26 – ITNPortland
December 3 – Cumberland Community Nursery School
December 10 – Maine Women’s Fund

OTTO 888 Comm Ave, Boston (across from BU)
October 14 – Brookline Food Coop
October 21 – Global Environmental Brigades

Please consider supporting these organizations by stopping by OTTO during their events. A percentage of each purchase will go directly to the organization. It’s a great opportunity to eat an entire pizza without the guilt!

Interested in being part of OTTO’s ongoing fundraiser series? Write to us at contactus @ ottoportland.com.