Awaken Bakery Joining with Safe Passage to Combat Human Trafficking in Area

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Kingdom Women Connection
Aug. 25, 2022

BOWLING GREEN, Ky., Aug. 25, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Awaken Bakery Café announced Bowling Green's first fully gluten-free baked goods and coffee shop to open for business on Sept. 1.

A community focused establishment at 314 E. Main Ave., Awaken will specialize in meals and treats anyone who is either gluten intolerant or looking to minimize gluten intake. Dr. Alessio Fasano, director of the Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, estimates about 6 percent to 7 percent of the U.S. population may struggle with gluten sensitivity, which means more than 20 million people across the nation could be prone to the condition.

Awaken will help area residents overcome these concerns with a wide variety of gluten-free breakfast, lunch, and dessert items, including sandwiches, cupcakes, cookies, and specialty coffee drinks. It will also provide gluten-free grab-and-go items for people on-the-run, including fruit and yogurt cups, salads, and mac-n-cheese.

"What started as a cute little side business to teach my kids about entrepreneurship quickly grew into this awesome passion project," says Tiana Post, chief baker and owner of the new café. "We began selling gluten-free cupcakes at markets and directly to customers but always had a vision of someday opening a commercial storefront in the heart of Bowling Green. Now, that dream has come true with the help of a non-profit called Kingdom Women Connection, which helped us plan and raise funds to reach this milestone."

Post says that Awaken will devote itself to serving community and faith-based causes. It recently partnered with a Kentucky-based non-profit organization called Safe Passage to combat human trafficking through education and prevention programs aimed at young people, the most vulnerable to this unsung but growing form of modern slavery. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 104 cases of human trafficking were reported in Kentucky in 2020. Last year, for instance, Kentucky law enforcement agencies reportedly found and rescued 21 human trafficking victims and arrested 46 suspects.

"We are thrilled to have a local business that is sincerely committed to the community and the very important cause of putting an end to human trafficking in Kentucky," says Cara Starns, founder and president of Safe Passage. "We'll hold events at Awaken to encourage residents to get involved in some of our efforts, which include survivor mentorship, safety planning, advocacy, and trauma related interventions."

SOURCE Kingdom Women Connection

CONTACT: Caroline Mendez, [email protected]