Pearls with Purpose Announces Valentine's Day Effort to Aid Philippines
(PRWEB) February 06, 2014 -- This Valentine’s Day, 800 pounds of love and outreach will be received by families in the Philippines in need of supplies. Relief boxes containing clothing, toiletries, and other aid were collected in local Utah communities and shipped in January by Pearls with Purpose, a non-profit foundation that works to promote self-reliance in impoverished countries.
In November 2013 the Philippines was hit with a devastating hurricane that displaced about 600,000 people and killed 2,500. Hurricane Haiyan left a significant mark on the Philippine nation and three months later, the effects still linger as the people work to rebuild.
Pearls with Purpose has deep roots in the Philippines. Wendy Bird, the founder, began micro-enterprise training in there in 2002 teaching women a skill that would assist them to help their families out of poverty. "Being a mom of five kids, I know firsthand the desire of every woman to simply want the best for their child. No mom should have to choose between feeding her children or allowing them to go to school, yet these women were facing this dilemma on a constant basis.”
In 2009 their Philippines co-op was washed away during severe flooding, and Pearls with Purpose is working hard to rebuild it. Their ongoing efforts to accomplish this include applying for a grant through a FedEx, Small Business Big Grant opportunity. To pre-qualify for the grant, they need votes. “It is so easy to vote,” says Julie Orrock, Director of Operations. “Go here bit.ly/pearlsgrant, sign in with your Facebook account (you only have to do this the first time), and click the big purple ‘Vote for This Business’ button. People can vote once a day, every day, until February 23rd.”
Over the last decade Pearls with Purpose has sent out relief boxes numbering in the thousands, but this is not their primary method of humanitarian assistance. True to their philosophy of offering a hand up not a hand out, they offer opportunities for real growth and change rather than a “dole.” Their partnership with Pearl Partners, a social impact company, ensures the success of each micro-enterprise as they purchase all items made by their co-ops (now in three countries: Philippines, India, and Cambodia) and then resell those items here in the US. The handcrafted genuine pearl jewelry is available on their website (http://www.pearlswithpurpose.com) and throughout the US through home parties and other distribution avenues.
You may not be in a position to send 800 pounds of assistance for immediate relief to those in need, but you can help by purchasing an item of jewelry made by the enterprising women who are working hard create long-term self-reliance. Visit their website to learn more about Pearls with Purpose and to see the beautiful genuine pearl jewelry for yourself. PearlswithPurpose.com
Julie Orrock, Pearls with Purpose, http://www.pearlswithpurpose.com, +1 (801) 221-0141, [email protected]
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