Giving Back & Reaching Out

Giving Back – how important is a mother? How wonderful a child?

Good mothers, caring mothers cause us to grow and be good and caring too. Motherhood can change the world. And each child can in turn return the favor. As a mother myself, and as a daughter, I see part of my mission in life is to change the world. To give a hand up to others, especially young children and women in need. I learned to give back at home, from my mother. I learned what being cared for means, and what caring for others means. I have taken my mother’s lessons and applied them to my life – much of which has been in India.

India is a country rich in many things, textiles, skills, crafts, beauty, culture, wildlife and history. But it is also a country that is still beset by poverty, and where there is a large population of desperately poor people. People too poor to watch their children, people too uneducated to educate their children, people needing a hand up to success, a hand up to opportunity.

In the slums of Delhi there are some wonderful women and men who have reached into their hearts and into their pockets, to make a difference. In simple open street schools first generation learners – of 5 and 6 years old, are learning the alphabet and changing their legacy, learning to write and opening doors of opportunity. Safe in a small circle of care and respect, these little children, for a few hours every day, can play as a child should play, imagine and develop as all children should. These are the Gali Schools and I and my company have been involved in them through The Giving World Foundation for many years.

When I see a little boy or girl with hair brushed straight, smile bright, waving hands enthusiastically at the teacher; I see the future more positively, and I know that I have made a difference. I know that my mother would be proud of that, too!

In all seriousness and sincerity when you buy a little girl’s dress from my company, you are also supporting the dreams of a little child far away, a child who will laugh like your child, play like your child and read and write as all children should.

Thank you for buying our clothes, and supporting our company. We take our mission to Feel Beautiful, Live Beautiful and Be Beautiful very seriously.

Happy Mother’s Day,

April

To learn more about the Giving World Foundation go to:

www.givingworldfoundation.org

Thank You Earth

On earth day tree hugging goddesses get the respect and recognition they so deserve.

On earth day we honor our earth, and mother nature, and all those who are her stewards.

Say thank you today, to the trees, the soil, the plants, the animals, our sun and the very air we breathe.

And say thank you to the environmentalists and all who stand watch over our planet.

Today, commit to protect and appreciate our very special world.

Passing on Good Fortune

A couple of months ago I wrote about my company in New Delhi, Cornell Overseas and how they took a piece of good fortune [a nice order] and turned that into good fortune for others.
All of the staff in our Delhi office participated and collected enough money to organize a food distribution for the poor...at the time I thought - imagine if everybody did that?
This action so excited us in Vermont, that we decided when good fortune came our way, we would do the same. I am happy to say, that it is now our turn to give back. We recently received a large commission check from our Licensing Partner, Danica. When the news came in Donna and I locked eyes across the room - "our turn" we said.
So happily, last week we met with United Way and gave our first pass it on check to them. We also wrote a second check for the Giving World Foundation. The foundation that gives a hand up, through education and opportunity to people in India.
I have long admired the United Way. In our community they are involved with so many worthwhile projects - Dismas House, Food Shelters, King Street Community Center, the Red Cross and many more meaningful organizations. They also have dedicated groups of volunteers that allow community members to participate and learn from volunteerism.
My company is also looking into how we can contribute in this way, too. So my friend, times may be trying, times may be tough, but let's remember to keep passing on the good news, and not hoard it for ourselves.

April
Feel Beautiful, Beautiful, Live Beautiful

Imagine if Everyone Did That..

Sometimes you know you are in the right place and doing the right thing. And mostly its because the people around you are doing what you would do if you'd thought of it first. I can say that as a mother, and as a business owner, nothing gives more satisfaction than a child behaving the way my mother taught me, or an employee espousing the same values as me.
     I am a very lucky person. I work with very talented people and I have awesome sons. They share and complete my vision for an artistic enterprise. But they do more than that - they take it further. The point of being here on this blessed earth is to move it forward, to advance civilization, not diminish it. They complete that circle. They broaden the ripples. So that the ripples catch others, that make new ripples too.

     Here's the story: Last week my company received a large order from a well-known retailer. The order came through a licensing partner of mine, and it exceeded our expectations. By a lot.
We were tres happy, but perhaps not quite as ecstatic as my factory in New Delhi, they would be manufacturing the order! Like a California brush fire the news spread with a snap, a crackle and a shout.
     People cheered and laughed and joked and - expressed their luck. "We are lucky. With this good fortune - we will to do something." Starting with my Head of Indian Operations, Harpreet Sindhu,  an idea took hold. Let's celebrate our new business bounty by giving something to others. Let's pass on our success to somebody else. It was decided to hold a food distribution for the poor  - believe me, in New Delhi, there is no shortage of people without, there is no shortage of poor, no dearth of the hungry. The team at Cornell Overseas dug into their own pocketbooks to give.
    Harpreet kicked off the giving, the CFO followed suite, then a merchandiser, a production manager, now the IT in charge, more merchandisers, a quality controller, and a sample maker, a children's wear manager, a spec specialist, an artist. Do you know how many hands it takes to make a beautiful tablecloth? To keep a company healthy? Well, they all joined in.
     Imagine if everybody did that? If everybody met good luck as an opportunity to share? Then you can imagine yesterday, when hundreds of children, men and women massed in front of our factory for lunch. For food. For friendship, for opportunity. In shoulder-to-shoulder and belly- to-belly and arm-to-arm lines.  From tiny three year olds, and able bodied but thin young men, lining up for fresh fried puris, and just cooked vegetable curry, and sweet halwa. You would have seen huge vats of food, a mountain of breads, and buckets of sweets, all served in bamboo dishes. Our diners. mere children in every sort of tossed fashion, wearing threadbare clothes made for them or for others. School boys and toddlers, man woman and child, They jostled and laughed and cajoled their way to two puris or four. To lunchtime and more. And my staff was proud to be serving and organizing and spreading their largesse to others. I can only say, I was proud too, proud of them and the children who allowed the generosity. I was proud to stand with them and what they stand for.
     I like this circle, this circle of commerce, this pattern of outreach, this acknowledgement of good fortune.
     Now, you see why I am lucky - it's the peeople, that's why.

Feel Beautiful, Be Beautiful, Live Beautiful, people.