Giving Tuesday: Charitable Giving for 2022

This year is the 10th anniversary of Giving Tuesday! If you’re not familiar with it, Giving Tuesday was a day established in 2012 with the goal of changing the world by highlighting generosity! Since its inception, Giving Tuesday has become a global movement that encourages people to contribute to doing good.

While Giving Tuesday is being celebrated on November 29th this year, part of the movement is to encourage giving all year round. Bramble Berry gave $1 from the sale of each of three items to three wonderful organizations all year round! To join in the celebration of year round generosity, we’d like to let you know what we’ve given throughout the year of 2022.

 

Genesys Works - opportunities for underserved youth

Genesys Works logo

Genesys Works is a not-for-profit organization that helps provide young people from underserved communities with meaningful opportunities for career success. They do this work by providing useful training, work experience, and networking opportunities to help young people get started in their careers. Genesys Works also has a network of alumni to help support young people during this process. Genesys Works helped 2,398 students in 2021. Of those, 91% were from communities of color, and 85% qualified for free or reduced price lunch.
This work doesn’t just benefit the young people involved; it helps fill skill gaps in the local economy and benefits the families and communities that these young people come from.

During 2022, $1 of the proceeds from each sale of our 10 inch Silicone Loaf Mold went to Genesys Works to help support this mission! As of November 19th, you’ve helped us raise $2,718 for this organization.

 

Vital Voices Global Partnership - elevating women’s voices

Vital Voices logo

Vital Voices was founded in 1997 with the mission of elevating the voices of women who are tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges. Vital Voices invests in these women by providing advocacy and research, training and mentoring, media and visibility, networking, emergency crisis support, and grants and other direct financial investments.This gives these women the environment, leadership, credibility, and financial grounding that they need to do their important work.

Over their 25 years of work, Vital Voices has invested in more than 20,000 women making change in their communities and around the world. Their work has covered 184 countries and territories across the globe.
In 2020 alone, this organization awarded over 2.5 million dollars in grants, and reached 1.6 million people through services and other resources.

We dedicated $1 of the proceeds for each purchase of our Bramble Berry Fragrance Oil to this organization, and together we’ve raised a total of $1,092 for Vital Voices.

 

Charity: water - bringing clean water to those who need it

charity: water logo

Clean drinking water is vital to the survival and health of all human beings, and charity: water is an organization that helps make that happen. The issue of clean water is much bigger than some of us realize; across the world, 771 million people lack basic access to clean and safe drinking water. This nonprofit organization was founded in 2006 with the ambitious goal of ending the global water crisis.

Charity: water relies on local partners to help complete these water projects. Local communities know what works best for them, given their cultures, climates, and geographies. They assist in assessment, construction, and maintenance of these local water systems by investing in these local partnerships.
These projects include:

  • Hand dug wells
  • Drilled wells
  • Rainwater catchments
  • Water purification
  • Gravity fed and piped systems
  • Purification and filtration systems
  • And more.

Throughout their work, charity: water has funded over 100,000 water projects across the globe, serving more than 15 million people in 29 countries.

We dedicated $1 from the proceeds of each sale of our Gentle Quick Mix to this charity in 2022, and together we raised $1,034 to help charity: water in their important work.

This work isn’t done. We’re continuing to make these contributions throughout 2022, so if you’d like to participate, check out these products. We also encourage you to make direct donations to any of these charities.

 

Other charitable contributions in 2022

We’ve also given donations to the following charities throughout the year:

  • YMCA - the YMCA is an organization that seeks to benefit communities by focusing on youth development, access to healthy living, and a dedication to social responsibility.
  • March for our Lives - this organization is dedicated to promoting civic engagement, education, and direct action to eliminate the epidemic of gun violence.
  • Kiva - Kiva helps those without access to financial services around the world by crowdfunding loans to help these folks pay tuition and start and improve their businesses.
  • USA for UNHCR - this organization helps support refugees around the world. Our donations helped refugees from the conflict in Ukraine.
  • World Vision - this organization helps support community based programs like health and nutrition, education, clean water, and more.
  • Childcare Worldwide - this organization helps to support children throughout the world by providing for their physical needs and supporting their education.
  • Sandy Hook Promise Fund - This organization has a mission to protect children from shootings and other acts of violence in their homes, schools, and communities.

 

Supporting our local community

We also believe that supporting organizations that do work in our own home of Whatcom County, Washington is vital. It’s our way to give back to the place we call home. Here are some local organizations we’ve supported throughout the year:

  • Lydia Place - provides support to individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our home of Whatcom County, Washington. 
  • Whatcom Hospice Foundation - another organization in our own community, this charity provides support and awareness for hospice services and end of life care.
  • Pickford Cinema - supports the art of independent film everywhere; located in Bellingham, Washington.
  • Whatcom Women in Business - this organization has been providing networking and referral sources for women in business in Whatcom County for 44 years.
  • Jansen Art Center - supports the arts in Whatcom County through gallery space, classes, concerts and more.
  • Bellingham Festival of Music - this organization brings excellent symphonic music to Bellingham, Washington, and promotes music education in Whatcom County.
  • Whatcom Community College Foundation - supports our local community college by providing scholarships, supporting faculty development, and helping with key college initiatives.
  • Brigid Collins - an organization that works to end child abuse and support healing in Northwest Washington.
  • Iris Northwest - supports basic human needs for immigrant families in the Northwest, including health, housing, and clothing.
  • Skookum Kids - this organization helps communities support and care for children in the foster care system.
  • Whatcom Literacy Council - helping change lives through adult literacy and english as a second language programs.

We’re proud of the work we’ve done supporting the health, well-being, and opportunities for people from our own home and around the world. We were able to do this with your help, and we’re not stopping here. We look forward to pursuing charitable giving in 2023 as well. Join us, won’t you?
 

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