Box of Blessings
Through the amazing "Make a Difference Monday" community, I came in contact with Sarah Barnett from the organization "International Blessings."
International Blessings "works with ministries, non-profits, and fair-trades that are dedicated to educating and teaching sustainable livelihoods as a way to break the cycle of poverty. These organizations are making a long-term difference in the lives of the poor." This organization exists to help impoverished people around the world create a livelihood through the creation and sale of jewelry and other handmade products.
As part of their sales model, similar to other online retailers like Birchbox, International Blessings has created a monthly subscription "Box of Blessings" filled with beautiful, hand-crafted goods from around the world.
Sarah offered to send me a box so I could have the experience and tell all of you about it. I was so delighted by what I found in my box and very impressed by how beautiful and well-made each piece was. While not only supporting impoverished people, these individuals clearly take pride in their work and are truly skilled in their craft.
After registering for my box, a little package from International Blessings arrived at my door, containing three items-a scarf, earrings, and a bracelet.
The earrings are handmade from Peru in a shop that contains 10 workers and 6 artisans that work out of their homes. They are made with alpaca silver and semi-precious stones with sterling silver posts. The cotton scarf was handmade on foot looms in the highlands of Totonicapan, Guatemala. And the bracelet was made with paper beads in Uganda through an organization called Project Hope which provides economic empowerment to women as well as education for them and their children.
I asked my sister to model these items for us, so you could see how stylish and wearable they are.
Janet and I were really psyched about the items. We found them to not only be a way to give back to those in need, but pretty adorable as well. To learn more about International Blessings and how to set up your own "Box of Blessings" subscription, click here.