Check out this aMaZiNg organization..........

BEAD FOR LIFE

This is totally unrelated to glass fishing floats, but I wanted to share this organization with you. Some of you may already be familiar with it. I think it's an awesome way to help others & you get some super cool, recycled jewelry in exchange!! The beads are made from recycled magazines & other paper. :)

Mission Statement:

Bead for Life creates sustainable opportunities for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty by connecting people worldwide in a circle of exchange that enriches everyone.


How It All Began:

BeadforLife began with a chance encounter between a Ugandan woman, Millie, who was rolling beads near her mud home, and the founders, Torkin Wakefield, Ginny Jordan, and Devin Hibbard. Stopping to admire the beads, the women learned that there was no market for her jewelry, and that Millie worked for a dollar a day in a rock quarry crushing stones in the hot sun. They admired her paper beads and bought a few, never realizing that their lives, and the lives of so many impoverished Ugandans, were about to change.

When friends at home admired the beads, the three women realized that there might be a market after all. Torkin returned to Uganda, and Devin and Ginny began to develop a marketing strategy. In Uganda, Torkin held classes to improve the quality of the beads and develop several styles of necklaces and bracelets. Soon women in the US began to hear the stories of the beaders and buy their beautiful jewelry.

In September of 2004 the founders launched BeadforLife in the belief that they could build bridges of understanding and commerce. Little did we know what an amazing endeavor was being born.

*Taken from beadforlife.org.

I hosted a Bead for Life party last year. The great thing about it is that it doesn't cost you any money. Well, except for the money you will spend on buying necklaces & bracelets because you can't decide on just one!! And, they make perfect gifts! All you have to do is go on their website, select your date, fill out the information & about a week before your party, Bead for Life will send you your supply of jewelry & some of the other items they offer. When your party is over, you send the remaining items back, along with the money you raised! It's that easy. They also provide you with printed material about the beaders, recipes, music & other information that you can share with others.

I encourage all of you to host a party, or if you aren't interested in doing that, you can order directly from their website!! The prices are very reasonable & most importantly, you will be supporting impoverished women & their families. They also offer a curriculum for educators. I can't think of a better thing than teaching children about philanthropy & helping those less fortunate.

Check out the Bead for Life website for all of the information about this great organization.

Here are some photos I took of the beads/jewelry I received for my party!







So, host a bead party. It will make your heart happy! :)