Have you ever indulged in something so sinfully delicious that you felt guilty? Most of us have at one time or another. Now, however, you can partake with less guilt by shopping at the bakery with soul, the bakery that offers great desserts while performing good deeds with the proceeds. Visit this site to see for yourself the tasty treats that are prepared with the ultimate desire to help people.

Greyston Bakery, originally in the Bronx and now located in Yonkers, offers sinful desserts that support saintly causes. In 1982 Bernard Tetsugen Glassman, a Zen Buddhist priest, who was previously an applied mathematician and aerospace engineer, founded Greyston Bakery. Glassman's goal was to employ the members of his Buddhist meditation group so they could concentrate more fully on their social mission. Presumably, this would free them from their day jobs and allow them to work cohesively as a team. Within a few years, Greyston Bakery began hiring the chronically unemployed and providing paid on-the-job training. Today, the Bakery generates more than $3.5 million in annual revenue and employs 55 people.

Into each gourmet cake, tart and brownie that it concocts, Greyston Bakery weaves a concern for the community and its employees. It has become a leader in community development and a role model for other socially conscious businesses.

In 1993 The Greyston Foundation, a non-profit corporation, was created to oversee the diverse programs aimed at social improvement and personal economic empowerment. Glassman envisioned Greyston as a mandala, which means 'circle' in Sanskrit (a very old language used in the ritual of the Northern Buddhist Church). The word is symbolic of the unity and interdependence of life, and the Greyston Mandala is to empower, enrich, heal, clarify and unify. All profits from the Bakery go directly to the Foundation to support its community development work for the poor and afflicted. Greyston's efforts include housing for the homeless, employment and job training, child care, health care, a computer learning center, and residential and outpatient care for people living with HIV/AIDS.

More than a decade ago, Greyston joined forces with the internationally famous Ben & Jerry's because they shared the same social concerns. To date, they have provided nearly 3 million pounds of brownies for inclusion in Ben & Jerry's ice creams and yogurts. Their delicacies are also featured in gourmet specialty stores and on cruise ships and have been served at The White House.

In addition to its traditional gourmet cakes, tarts and brownies, Greyston prepares wedding and specialty occasion cakes. In July 1999 the bakery produced a 5-tier cake along with 10 smaller ones for a Lincoln Center celebration. These cakes, weighing in at 2,385 pounds, fed 8,300 people. No special order is beyond Greyston's capacity and willingness to fill. They are also delighted to offer advice and inspiration for your specialty needs.

Greyston Bakery is at a pivotal moment in its history. Within the next year the bakery will be expanded and moved into a larger facility, though it will remain within Yonkers where its greatest benefit is providing jobs, and job training, to individuals who would otherwise likely be unemployed within that community. The Bakery even monitors the progress of its employees after they leave the bakery.

Wait! Before you say, "but I don't live in New York," Greyston Bakery will ship their goods directly to your door via UPS. So, even if you don't live in New York, but crave a pecan tart or a mousse cake, or simply want to sample a dessert served at The White House, check out their tantalizing offers online and know that your money is not making the rich get richer but rather is being returned to the community. If you have a special celebration or wedding in the future, and want more information, call 1-800-BUY-CAKE or email them at buycake@greystonbakery.com.

We've all read about for-profit businesses that have become socially conscious, but Greyston's central purpose has always been to generate dollars to help society. Although Glassman is no longer actively involved, he remains a member of the Foundation's board of directors, and his vision still guides the organization. His selfless efforts and the continuing efforts of The Greystone Foundation and Greyston Bakery deserve recognition. Check out this inspiring site for yourself. It satisfies more than just your sweet tooth!

This artice is reprinted with permission of Drue Ann Hargis-Ramirez, editor of www.altruisticweb.com.

Bio: Drue Ann Hargis-Ramirez fell in love with books and the written word as a pre-teen. Her teachers encouraged her to write through participation on the high school paper for which she eventually became Editor-in-Chief. For several years she got distracted with a full-time secretarial job and marriage, but after her second son was born in 1999, she could no longer quiet the words and stories running through her head and began to put words onto paper again. When she is not working her day job, or hopping from one activity to another with her two sons, she spends her 'free' time writing. She is currently working on a contemporary romance novel and several children's stories and poems. Her children inspire much of her writing, and her parents are her staunchest supporters, critiquing all her work. She resides in sunny Southern California and hopes that one day she can become a full-time writer. Her work can be found in several online markets, including Wee Ones E-Magazine, Kudlicka Publishing's The Poet's Garth, and soon ePregnancy. She is also editor of The Altruistic Web (www.altruisticweb.com). You can reach Drue at bunuelita@aol.com.