“We both make our living by making and selling beautiful jewelry; it only makes sense that we work together to help support these amazing Beaders and their families.”
-Fredda Goldfarb
These were the words shared by Fredda Goldfarb of Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler on a phone call a few months ago. I was intrigued and moved by Fredda’s words and even more so by her actions. Fredda is one of the special people in our BeadCircle who when they hear the stories of the Beaders and BeadforLife feel compelled and inspired to do more. You never know the ripples that will be set in motion by your choices and actions. We couldn’t have imagined that Fredda’s attending of the Northwest Catholic Women’s Convocation in May would have led us here.
Ugandan nuns perform at Goldfarb's weeklong BeadParty
This was such a natural partnership that hadn’t been considered before; the selling of beautiful jewelry is the income generator of both our organization and their company. After several weeks of planning and collaboration, we are proud to announce that the week long BeadParty, from July 25th-August 1st at Goldfarb’s Seattle and Bellevue stores exceeded all of our expectations. Over 3000 items of BeadforLife jewelry were sold, and thousands of people reached. All of this happened, nonetheless, in the midst of one of the hottest weeks in Seattle history!
The focus of their BeadParty week was for Seattle to experience beautiful recycled paper jewelry, and also to educate and inspire the community on how they can make a difference in the fight against poverty. Alvin Goldfarb store locations were enhanced with new window displays that spotlighted the vibrant colored BeadforLife jewelry, and the stores became a place to share the inspirational stories of the hard-working women who created the jewelry. On July 30, a special reception hosted at the Seattle Alvin Goldfarb store included refreshments and music by Ugandan nuns that sang and drummed for enthusiastic shoppers.
Guests shop for BeadforLife jewelry at Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler
Special thanks goes to Pat Lewis, our amazing Community Partner in Seattle who put this ripple in motion, to all of the incredible volunteers, to Theresa Morrow for representing BeadforLife at the VIP event, to Amy Yanda-Lee and Lauren Formicola for the great “buzz” they created, to our BeadParty and Fulfillment Teams at BeadforLife and most importantly to the Goldfarb family and staff for all their incredible generosity, hard work and passion! We are so grateful for Goldfarb’s support and innovative thinking, and hope that this will become a model for other jewelers and retailers across the country.
Robert Francis Kennedy once said, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” Thank you Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler for the ripples of hope you’ve created!
Heather’s connection to BeadforLife began when she accompanied her sister Tera to Uganda several years ago. It was this trip that fueled her ongoing relationship with the organization as a Community Partner in Pennsylvania for 1.5 years. This past September, Heather was brought on staff in the Boulder office as the new Program Director. Her energy and enthusiasm is infused into all of her work as well as the people fortunate enough to feel her presence on a daily basis.
Tags: BeadCircle, Goldfarb Jeweler, Poverty Eradication, Uganda
Heather, I am looking for a representative in the Philadelphia/Main Line area…can you connect me?
thanks!