Thursday, December 15, 2011

Spotlight on Charities Supporting Sierra Leone

TODAY we'll be having an event at Glittering Conscience celebrating the shop's one year anniversary-- an eco-chic birthday party so to speak... It's been a long year since we first opened the store, and we are so proud of how far it's come. Besides our own luxury jewelry line, GC carries amazing and unique green brands by Nahui Ollin, Platinum Dirt, NaturevsFuture, Montree, Temple de Mexico, Kopali Organics, and many, many more. The store does the best it can to operate under a feasibly sustainable manner, using recycled materials for decor and packaging, environmentally-friendly energy, and displays made out of recycled and sustainable materials such as hemp.

To celebrate, we are having a store-wide sale of 20% off everything through the month of December. Not only that, but 10% of proceeds the store makes today during the main event will go to three outstanding charities that support the people of Sierra Leone, Africa, a small country in West Africa that relies mainly on diamond mining as its most economical asset. The people of Sierra Leone are who originally inspired R&C Founder Wade Watson to start the eco-friendly and charitable jewelry company, and this is just another way to give back to them and create awareness in the lives of the more fortunate.

The Taia Peace Foundation is an organization created by actor Jeffrey Wright that aims to, "assist rural communities in overcoming the so-called “resource curse", and make sure the stream of income created by those resources goes back to the Sierra Leoneans who deserve it. The NGO's ultimate goal is to spread this mission across the continent, and "to remove the economic barriers that limit their capacity to build a lasting peace." So far, Taia has helped rehabilitate roads and bridges, supplied materials for local schools, improved health care facilities, and created jobs for hundreds who desperately needed them.

Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Wright with other Taia team members at the Clinton Global Initiative September 2009



Shine on Sierra Leone, founded by director/producer Tiffany Persons, focuses mainly on the communities of Sierra Leone, offering healthcare and safe haven for pregnant women, helping to build schools and fund them, and even build homes for those in need. Tiffany hopes to not only help Sierra Leoneans in need, but to also help educate others by showing them that Sierra Leone is a beautiful place filled with wonderful people who just want to take back their home and make it an even more beautiful place.

Tiffany Persons with students at the Muddy Lotus primary school

Perhaps the most remarkable charity involved with the event tonight is Jewels for Africa, which was formed by none other than the children of Wade Watson. Together with their friend Melina, Damon and Christina create unique jewelry using beads and pendants made from natural sources, sell them, then give ALL profits to children at Muddy Lotus, the St. George Orphanage, and the Aberdeen Primary School of Sierra Leone. The funds the schools and orphanage receive goes to providing items like food, clothing, school supplies, and even toys for the less fortunate in need.

Some of Jewels for Africa's creations on display at Glittering Conscience


We hope you will join us for this exciting and charitable event. Get all your holiday shopping done in one night and know that you're not only buying gits that were made sustainably, but that will also give back to those in need. 

Remember! The party is from 6-10 pm tonight, Dec 15, at 96 West Houston St NYC 10012! Call (646) 455-0164 if you need more information! Thanks for reading!

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