Donations Archives - Beth's Blog

Our Scholarship Update

Last November, we decided to do something a little different and offer up a $1000 scholarship to one talented high school or college student. We know how expensive college is and how difficult it can be for someone to follow their dreams when there’s a high price tag on them. We wanted to encourage kids to continue on with their education and we love to hear from people interested in starting their own businesses some day.

Our criteria was pretty simple, you just needed to be a current high school student planning to go to college, or be a current college student. We asked entrants to answer this question: “What innovative ways do you see social media changing the way people buy jewelry?”

We love how social media has opened up so many avenues to get the word out about our personalized jewelry, and we wanted to hear from up- and -coming entrepreneurs and business people about what opportunities they think social media offers companies like ours. And wow, did we get some great responses! A lot of the kids were very creative and thoughtful about the different social media opportunities out there right now. We saw some ideas for new apps or services that we hope will be developed some day, maybe even by one of these talented kids!

We had a very difficult time narrowing down our list but managed to create a list of our top eleven finalists. The winner will be chosen later today, June 18, and once we verify that all the requirements for the application have been fulfilled by the winner, we will post the winner’s name on our website, on Facebook and here on our blog!

The top eleven finalists for the Heart On Your Wrist $1000 scholarship are (in no particular order):

Samantha Sadwin of Blackstone, MA
Nia Civil of Middle Island , NY
Morgan Goldhammer of Hartford, WI
Brandi Henry of Boyertown, PA
Ella Podrez of Washougal, WA
Amanda Spang of Glendale, NY
Kelsey Niaz of Minnetonka, MN
Hannah Michael of Saint Helena, CA
Kathleen McAuliffe of Tinley Park, IL
Bianco Palumbo of Melrose, MA
Nicolas Nespoli of Tucson, AZ

We so enjoyed this whole process and hearing from all these wonderful kids. Out of the hundreds of entries submitted, it was really hard to choose the finalists and now the winner. We appreciated each and every person who took the time and effort to enter. You are all wonderfully talented people and we look forward to seeing all the things you will do in the future!

A Memorial Charm in honor of the Sandy Hook victims – all proceeds donated

After the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, we were all feeling shocked, horrified, sad and helpless. Watching the families of those killed go through the ultimate nightmare was hard to bear. The people of Newtown came together in support of the families who lost loved ones, and to see that was inspiring and gave just a glimmer of hope during a dark and horrifying time. Being here in California, we felt especially helpless. We all wanted to do something, anything, for those who were hurting, but what can you possibly do to try and make things better at such a dreadful time?

That is when Stephanie May got in touch with me. Stephanie was a customer of Heart On Your Wrist, and also wanted to do something to remember those lost and to provide some reassurance to the survivors. Stephanie lives in Connecticut and was feeling firsthand the pain and anguish of the people of Newtown. She wanted to create something meaningful that others could see and get comfort from. And she thought of Heart On Your Wrist.

Stephanie and I worked together to create a personalized memorial charm in honor of the Sandy Hook victims. We decided together that all proceeds from the sale of this necklace would be donated to the Newtown Memorial Fund in Newtown, CT, whose mission is to provide a memorial to the victims of the tragedy, and to establish academic scholarships in the victims’ names for victim classmates and for generations of Newtown students to come.

Stephanie felt that a burning candle had become a symbol of Hope in Newtown, so we designed a sterling silver etched charm with a burning candle in the center. The outer rim of the charm reads, “Short is life but long is love”. The back of this charm has a bold “26” on it to signify the 26 beautiful people lost on December 14, 2012. A custom message of your own can also be put on the back of the charm. The charm can be made into a necklace, bracelet or key ring.

Our wish is that people who wear this or see this charm will remember the victims, and feel a sense of comfort. We are also happy to be a part of future scholarships that will be provided to the students of Newtown. It doesn’t bring anyone back or change anything, but it does provide the tiniest glimmer of hope for the future.

Etched candle charm — https://www.heartonyourwrist.com/etched-candle-memorial-necklace/

Deployed Single Moms Get Support

I recently had the pleasure of working with Carey, a representative for a non profit organization called Operation GI Jane. It’s a charitable group dedicated to assisting deployed single mothers in the military, in connecting with and supporting their children while they are deployed. It is a wonderful group – I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to be a deployed single mom. Their dedication to their jobs and their country are truly inspiring. I was happy to donate a military style necklace to their recent auction to show our support. It is inspiring to work with people whose main goal is helping others. And the people that this group supports are the very people that dedicate their lives and time to our country, which allows us all to enjoy our lives as Americans.

10% of your order to Laurel School during September!

Mention Laurel school (where all three of my children have gone or are going to now) and we will donate 10% of your order total to the school. We are also planning our first SIDEWALK SALE here at the studio, also to benefit the school. More details on that to come soon. Go Laurel Squirrels!