SPOTLIGHT ON ... ARTICLE
July 2007

Charity
Written by: Thomas Soles

History has always had its tumultuous eras. The past decade has been especially turbulent, so much so that sometimes it can be easy to forget that there are good people and good places out there. One thing that has always encouraged us is charity. As a company and as a collective of individuals, we have given our time and money to organizations we think are important.

For some, the idea of donating time or money is more in the realm of celebrity. Famous faces give to charity because they have the time and money. Regular folks just cannot spare anything outside of bills or a long work week. While movie stars may have a leg up on most of us, this does not mean we cannot make a difference.

For the uninitiated, donating time or money to an organization can be daunting. Taking some baby steps can be a good way to get your foot in the door. An incredibly easy way to start giving your time is by using the internet. The Breast Cancer Site allows visitors to fund free mammary exams simply by clicking sponsored links on the website. Every time you visit a link from the site, the companies featured in the links will donate money. This is free for the user and can be done daily; all that is necessary is a couple minutes of your time. If you would like to aid this cause, simply head here: www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces.

Last year, one of our employees enlisted herself as a participant in the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. She did this to honor her friend's mother, who was taken by breast cancer. She walked twenty miles a day for three days. It was an impressive feat to see, considering how blistered and bloody her feet were throughout the event. In the end, she managed to raise three thousand dollars in the fight against breast cancer and the combined total of her team was over ten thousand. The support from her friends and from beaders all over the world was enthusiastic and encouraging. She is considering doing it again. If you would like to donate or express congratulations to her, she can be reached at sara@softflexcompany.com.

For the creatively bent minds that are seeking to assist a charitable program, there are organizations out there that accept donations like beads or crafted goods - as well as money. One such organization is Beads of Courage. Beads of Courage seeks to help children with serious illnesses. Their program donates beads to children, the beads will spell the child's name and they will also receive beads that represent their treatment. The necklaces the children create will recount the journey they are on. Some children take in enough beads to fill several pieces of jewelry as they visit the hospital for chemotherapy, blood draws, and hair loss. If you would like to aid some sick children in becoming stronger, visit www.beadsofcourage.net.

The HOPE Bracelet Project is another bead donation venture. This time, though, the beads are given to a village in Yetebon, Ethiopia as a tool for helping the impoverished locals. Cindy Beads has teamed up with Project Mercy to help the village learn a new craft to bring some revenue into the financially unstable area. You can help the people of Yetebon by purchasing one of their handcrafted bracelets or you can send a donation. A remote corner of Africa may seem impossibly distant from the comfort of your favorite beading nook, it helps to remember that despite the exotic removal from the world we know, these people are very much like us - families, friends, hopes, and dreams. Let's let them know somebody is thinking about them. You can visit the HOPE Bracelet Project here: www.cindybeads.com/projectmercy.htm and Project Mercy here: www.projectmercy.org.

Bead for Life, Like the HOPE Bracelet Project, is a venture to rescue poverty stricken souls in Africa. Bead for Life takes their program to Uganda, where war, genocide, HIV and disease have become the horrible fabric of the Ugandans daily existence. Bead for Life has created a village for the people they are aiding and have taught the villagers how to craft beads and design necklaces to fund medicine, food, and school fees. You can donate to BFL by through their website. They offer an opportunity to buy wells for the village, make a donation, purchase fair trade items and more. If you would like to hear interviews or see videos of BFL in action, check out the media on the site. www.beadforlife.org.

Beads of Hope is a project created by a good friend of Soft Flex Company. Marilyn Berg wears many hats; she is a designer, a show vendor, an importer and dealer. It is difficult to believe she has any time in her busy schedule to catch her breathe. Beads of Hope is her organization designed to teach jewelry making skills to underprivileged people. Her recent venture was teaching in Cuba. Like many with a charitable heart, she does not blow her own horn, but if you would like to donate or send her a thankful note, visit her site here: www.beadsofhope.org.

Bead Positive is a charity platform partnered with the Positive Women's Network. Bead Positive was launched in 1997 as a vehicle for Kim Schaaf to distribute her key chains and necklaces. All proceeds from sales of her jewelry now go to supporting wellness programs for women and their families. The unique thing about her jewelry is that it is not only aesthetically fun to look at, but each piece is educational. The beads used all represent the sizes of breast lumps that can be found through check ups and inspections. It is startling to see the size of the lump that is found by accident versus the size of the lump that can be detected through diligent screenings and health check-ups. If you have a history of breast cancer in the family and know a loved one that could use a wake up call, these beads may help focus their attention into awareness. Visit this page if you are interested in this project: www.pwnetwork.org/bead_positive/beadsInfo.asp.

Beading for a Cure is a project that seeks to end Colorectal Cancer. The charity was started after the founder's friend lost her battle with cancer. Beading for a Cure gathers participants for a beading challenge. The beaders will then receive a kit - every kit is identical. The challenge is for them to create a unique item using the kit, a single bead they add, and as many non-bead items as they care to use. The finished project can be a sculpture, jewelry, decorative items. The finished piece will be auctioned for charity. The website features a gallery where you can view the past years entries and appreciate the talent of all involved in the challenge. www.beadingforacure.org.

The Portable Playhouse is an incredible children's charity that attends to ill children in the hospital. Whether the child has a terminal illness or a broken bone, volunteers from this charity visit the children on a one-on-one basis and instruct that child how to craft a project of their choosing. The volunteer remains with the child until the project is complete. The age range is from 5-20 years and is open for boys and girls. Projects range from necklaces, anklets, earrings, and key-chains. With the intimate level of interaction and the gift of crafting a unique piece of jewelry, The Portable Playhouse wants to make the children comfortable, strengthen their outlook on the process of healing, and put a smile on the face of the unwell child. www.theportableplayhouse.org.

Children's Craniofacial Association is a charity that has gotten strong support from pop songstress Cher. CCAKids is working to raise money for treatment of craniofacial syndromes. A craniofacial disorder is an abnormality of the face or head. The disfigurements may begin at birth or come about from disease or trauma. In a society so focused on the aesthetics of the face, it is truly disheartening to think about the struggles children with facial disfigurements will have to overcome. The website for this charity has a wealth of information about the syndromes and their treatments. If you would like to donate to this charity, you can do so by offering money, your time, or assisting with a fun fundraising event. http://www.ccakids.com.

For jewelry designers and beaders that attend trade shows, oftentimes, vendors will stage their own mini-events or the show promoters themselves will stage a charity auction. Next time you attend a bead show, why not see if you can find a bead or donation box that will enable you to help the less fortunate. EBay also has plenty of charity auctions; why not make your next bead purchase send a happy message of hope to a less fortunate individual. The world may not be an ideal place, but there are so many ways to make a difference individually. Donate or give your time to an organization. Baby steps if necessary. Everything helps.

Visit our Charity page for more information on the charities we love: www.softflexcompany.com/charity.htm.