Mary O’Brien Aurora is the owner and operator of Aurora Treats Company, a quaint store that produces a variety of desserts. They ship all across the nation in addition to running their store that hosts regular customers. She prides herself on the café appearance and friendly atmosphere that invites people in and attracts them to the many confections that she and her team of chefs work hard on every day. Customers can come in and sit at the few tables she provides to enjoy a pastry and coffee drink. Aurora Treats Company is a friendly and inviting place that looks to make their customers’ experience the best one possible. It’s almost like sitting in a boulangerie in France.
When she’s not working in her bakery, Mary O’Brien Aurora is supporting charities with her surplus baked goods and time. She is a supporter of the Salvation Army and their efforts to help those affected by disaster and other unfortunate incidents. She believes that everyone needs help at one point in their lives, and the Salvation Army helps to ensure that people are given a leg up in life when a situation may have them down. She donates some of her bread from her bakery to the homeless and hungry. She’ll even surprise them with a delicious baked good here and there as a little something extra. She strives to be as much of an expert humanitarian as she is an expert baker. She believes that if something is worth doing, it’s worth giving her all toward it.
Mary O’Brien Aurora began her love of making baked goods at an early age. When she decided that she wanted to run her own business as a professional baker, she decided to go to school to perfect her new skill set. She enrolled in The French Pastry School of Kennedy-King College in Chicago. Here she learned all the techniques and practices of roper pastry making in the French tradition is one that is highly regarded by bakers, chefs, and enthusiasts alike.
The craft and care that goes into designing pastries and other delectable desserts is one that Mary O’Brien Aurora is very attentive to. Through her education in French pastries, she has learned that the best creations come from knowing the palate of ingredients that are at the baker’s disposal. This is why she learned everything from proper baking methods, to ingredient selection, all the way to knowing what dessert wines go well with what is being made. Sometimes the wine goes into the product itself to embellish certain flavors and nuances in texture.
Having cut her teeth in baking and pastry making, Mary O’Brien Aurora opened her shop, Aurora Treats Company. She aimed to provide the people of the Chicago area with quality breads, desserts, and other goods that make for a wonderful culinary experience. She came up with the design to make her store like a café and boulangerie that would be found in France. To this effect, she provided seating for her customers to enjoy the view out of the store window while they took in the sounds, smells, and other senses that come with sitting in a busy bakery. While customers were enjoying their time in the bakery, a small café setup was in place so they could enjoy espresso, coffee, and other coffee drinks. This provided the full experience of being in a French café. She then expanded her service to the outside of her store in order to accommodate for the number of people coming in on a daily basis.
With the popularity of Aurora Treats Company taking off, Mary O’Brien Aurora looked to expand her market beyond the people coming through her door. She started to look into shipping out of state, which turned into a popular option for many. People from all over the United States got word of the quality baked goods coming from Aurora Treats Company and jumped at the opportunity to have their products shipped directly to their location. This launched the company in a great direction in terms of production and demand. Her ability to get her baked treats all over the country in a short period of time gained her and her business some well-deserved attention.
Ever since she was able to, Mary O’Brien Aurora was interested in supporting any charity efforts she could be of assistance to. She eventually settled on the Salvation Army. She liked their mission to help those in need regardless of their religion, creed, race, or other situation in life. For over a century, The Salvation Army has worked to provide food and shelter to the homeless, relief for those affected by disaster, and provide services that help get people back on their feet after being in dire straits. The mission of the Salvation Army was one that Mary O’Brien Aurora liked a lot and started to help support.
Formed in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth, the Salvation Army was named in representation of being a volunteer army against poverty. Even though they are affiliated with the Methodist denomination of Christianity, their focus is on making sure anyone in need of help is attended to. This mission is carried out regardless of the peoples’ religious beliefs or practices. People who work for the Salvation Army wear uniforms in the same way that a regular army soldier would. Members also have ranks and titles depending on their tenure and position within the organization.
The Salvation Army works wherever they are needed. Mary O’Brien Aurora notes that they have shelters and kitchens set up in most parts of the United States. This includes cities and rural areas alike. Members of the Salvation Army are “deployed” to various locations in the nation as well as the world where help is needed. When disaster strikes a region, they make sure to have people on the ground providing clothing, shelter, and food among other things. They also run thrift stores across the country for people who need clothing and other items at a severely discounted rate. All the money made from selling these donated items goes right back to the people that they benefit.
Mary O’Brien Aurora has always supported the Salvation Army and their efforts to help those in need. She started by donating a lot of her bread and baked goods from her store to shelters and other places. When Christmas would come around, her treats were always welcome to those who received them when they previously had not had a delectable in a long time.
Mary O’Brien Aurora is looking forward to continuing her passion as a baker and pastry chef. Running the Aurora Treats Company is a full-time job in and of itself. It is one that she enjoys thoroughly though. She hopes that in the future, the popularity of her business can expand into another store location, or even gain an international demand from those who discover her products over the Internet. The reputation that her breads and pastries has received in the past will help to boost her rapport with those looking for creative new recipes to try. She found a career in her passion and now she will continue to turn what she loves into a fabulous career.
Along with her professional work, Mary O’Brien Aurora will continue her work with the Salvation Army as much as possible. There are unfortunately many people that are affected by poverty and disaster. The quick response of the Salvation Army is one that she appreciates when it comes to helping others. This is why she will continue to provide help in her own way with the Salvation Army. She hopes that others will take her lead and help those less fortunate, either through volunteering or supporting an organization that does. Her support of charity not only makes her feel like she’s doing well by others, but it does really make an impact on the lives of many. With her career and personal life balanced well, Mary O’Brien Aurora hopes to help others enjoy the success that she has made in a similar fashion.