I want to share a story that touched me and continues to inspire me.  This came from Jan Syvertsen, one of our sales consultants in California….    

Helping Hands Loving Hearts is a gift shop that caters to a wide variety of tourists and regular shore visitors in the beach town of Lavallette, NJ.   The store opened in 2003 when Carol Borrelli was asked to do a fund-raiser for a child with Joubert Syndrome; a disease so rare it did not generate enough public interest to create a foundation that could help.  Carol was overwhelmed with requests to find a ways to help the families affected by illness and decided the way to help her community was to open this non profit store.  

Carol and her coworker, Nelson Hyers continue to dedicate themselves to their work and find tremendous joy and satisfaction with what they do each day!  Children are now referred to them through Social Services and other children’s hospitals in the region.   In addition to meeting basic needs like shoes, food, and other personal items; they help defray some of the medical costs that are overwhelming to most of these families.  Sadly, many of the fathers end up leaving their families and create a tremendous burden for the now single mom with a very ill child.

Meanwhile, the Maasai women are beading in Kenya - making a living wage and taking care of their own families.  Their work gives them an income to provide food year round and pay the education expenses for their children.  Then across the world in a little town on the Jersey shore, women benefiting from the sale of these same beads, and again, taking care of their children…

“Women helping Women” is truly happening here.  These women will never meet each other but I personally get to see the benefit done to both and it makes what I do so meaningful…marketing this creative and unique jewelry from one country to another.  I have met some of the most wonderful store owners who truly care about carrying products that make a difference in this world!  Carol and Nelson have taken it one step further and donated all their profits to meet the needs of the children.  All those who shop in the store see pictures of the kids…they may hear about a specific child and how they are doing and will then participate in this great endeavor through their own purchase.   They hear about the women thousands of miles away in Kenya who are sitting under the Acacia trees beading and also enjoying the opportunity to be part of The Leakey Collection!  This wonderful store is yet another bridge that connects one culture to another.  For more information on Helping Hands Loving Hearts, visit their site http://www.helpinghandslovinghearts.com/.