Walking up to the white brick house nestled in an East Austin neighborhood, fellow art admirers flow in and out of the home-turned-art-studio. A banner draped across the front door sports black letters on an orange background, welcoming guests to “Studio Yo.” Inside, photographer Cecily Johnson and artist Rebecca Klier display their works of art.
Sharla Megilligan looks like any other coffee shop goer, nestled in her wooden chair, working on her computer after a caffeine fix at Dominican Joe Coffee Shop. Other coffee-drinkers fill the cozy interior, which features pictures of people of the Dominican Republic, those whom the coffee shop aims to help. But Megilligan is not just the average customer—she is the co-owner of Dominican Joe Coffee Shop and founder of the non-profit Makarios International, which aims to help the impoverished people in the Dominican Republic through education and Christian outreach programs.
