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My January started off very slowly….still feeling sluggish from the down time over the holidays and not much energy or creativity to plan out the next few months. And then, just halfway through the month, my family experienced a loss – the death of my grandmother who had been sick for a while. I took an unexpected, yet what turned out to be a truly meaningful trip to Texas for the funeral. And when I returned, the list of things I left behind grew and grew. Ahhhh, January just didn’t seem to be my month!
One of the items on my to-do list was to make our annual charity donation. If you don’t know this about our company, part of our mission is to donate 5% of our sales to organizations that support military members and their families. We started this tradition almost two years ago and our very first donation was just $50 to the Milspo Project - and it felt like such a small amount to contribute. But I knew every dollar helped and I dreamed that one day our donation would be much bigger. Six months later, we were able to donate $340 to the Duskin & Stephens Foundation....a proud feeling indeed!
After tallying up every receipt and sale from 2016 and entering and calculating numbers on my spreadsheet, the donation total stared back at me on my computer screen……$1,900. Yes! Just one and a half years after our first $50 donation, this new donation felt much different - this was a lot of money! After feeling like January was so difficult, this moment made me incredibly proud. There is truly so much joy in giving to others.
While I am so proud to donate this money under my business name, I know the real reason that this big donation is possible. YOU - our family, friends, community members, fellow military spouses, mamas - each of our wonderful customers that not only buy our jewelry, but believe in our mission to spread inspiration and kindness, and support the amazing men and women and their families who selflessly serve our country each and every day. This donation is all possible because of you. I am blown away at how much this business that was so small just a year and a half ago has grown into a force that spreads love and generosity to sweet gals like you, to families, and to communities. What an incredible honor!
{photo by Julie L. Hipkins | Originations Photography}
So let me introduce you to the organization that received our latest donation - Operation Purple Camps, run by the National Military Family Organization. Operation Purple offers a free week of camp to military kids who have a parent that has returned from a deployment, is gearing up to deploy, or is trying to adjust to a new normal after an injury. These kids get to spend a week with other kids just like them as they adapt to and overcome the stressors of military life. Operation Purple Camps have served nearly 60,000 military kids since 2004, and the memories made last a lifetime.
{photos via www.militaryfamily.org}
The power of giving certainly changed my perspective this January. I will miss my sassy, spunky grandmother, who always told it like it was and shared what was on her mind. She was an amazing example of being who you are and saying what you feel. It’s always sad to lose someone you love, but to be able to carry on the spirit of kindness, giving, sharing, and inspiration is truly life-changing. And to be able to do this because of our amazing customers and community means the world to me! Thank you so very much for helping us to give back.