Reel and Meal at the New Deal

Reel and Meal is a monthly film series at the New Deal Cafe exploring vital environmental, animal rights, and social justice issues. Admission to the film is always free, sponsored by several Greenbelt community organizations. Contributions are gladly accepted to cover each month’s donation to a non-profit organization.

Reel and Meal events are in-person (limited seating) and online via Zoom.  Each month registration links will be posted here.  You can also reach out to Reel and Meal at

Date: Third Monday of every month
Time: The free film starts at 7pm.
Dinner: Dinners are available at the café after 4pm with several plant-based options.
Carryout: The Co-Op Supermarket Meatless Monday meals can be picked up from the “grab and go” for Zoom at-home viewing after 11am.
Location: Online or at the New Deal Cafe – 113 Centerway in historic Greenbelt, MD
Public transportation: The cafe is accessible by Metro Buses G12, 13, 14 and 16 from the Greenbelt Metro station.

October 20, 2014

Connected by Coffee

Promotional photo

Connected by Coffee shows how the equitable trading relationship called Free Trade empowers Central American coffee growers. The film is the kick-off for the Utopia Film Festival, which is celebrating its 10th year anniversary at various venues in Greenbelt from October 24 to 26, 2014.

The film shows how the cooperative movement now called Fair Trade got its start in the context of gross economic inequity; a Central American coffee farmer’s daily wages is typically less than we spend on one cappuccino. The film aims to show how everyone who drinks coffee is connected to those who grow it.

Part of the evening’s discussion will include the local founder of Blessed Coffee in Takoma Park, Tebabu Assefa.

He is a community Leader and Social Entrepreneur and founder of Blessed Coffee (BC) a social business that supports 200,000 coffee farmers in Ethiopia improving their social capital through a new model of business called Virtues Exchanges (VE) that connects small farmers and producers with the consumer directly. BC is the second company to register as a Benefit Corporation (a public corporation chartered and produces public benefit as well as profit), a hybrid of for-profit and non-profit models that aims for community benefits as well as profits in the State of Maryland.