"Thank you! I'm so excited - and, actually, still in shock that I won such gorgeous pieces!! I already emailed my mom and sisters with the news - including photos of the jewelry - although, we might have to make a new exception to our "jewelry borrowing" policy! Thank you so much, again!" —Kate Lane
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I first learned about Brand BUILD through the Women's Jewelry Association when I moved to Chicago. I was inspired by the BUILD mission to support and inspire young women by presenting them with alternatives to the streets, options that allow them to understand that their futures are in no way limited by their current circumstances and surroundings. I donated beads and findings to the organization to support the young women using jewelry making and small business skills to BUILD a brighter future.
Brand BUILD is a model small business project that engages young women in producing and selling beaded jewelry with marketing and design input from staff and volunteers. Volunteers and staff mentor the young women in the program, and experienced program participants assist those who are new to the program. Each student receives 70% of her net sales in a paycheck, agrees to have deposited 20% of her earnings in an Educational Fund, and gives back 10% to the program to support the Enrichment Fund that offers activities for all Brand BUILD participants.
Weekly work sessions where participants meet with staff and volunteers, learning to create custom beaded jewelry and the practical aspects of running a small business. Each piece is uniquely inspired by urban and seasonal trends and may reflect the personal style and emotions of the student. Each youth participant has at least 25 different pieces within their inventory consisting of necklaces, earrings and bracelets.
All participants are enrolled in BUILDing Futures, the agency's college and career prep program, enabling participation in college tours, financial aid presentations, college entrance exam workshops, etc. To date, 100% of Brand BUILD alumni have graduated high school and gone on to college or vocational training.
Periodic off-site sales are conducted, including BUILD's annual dinner event, corporate venues and private homes and businesses.
Brand BUILD helps teach young women that the streets are a dead end and that the "Mainstream Dream" of a good education and a meaningful career can be theirs. Through these activities, the girls also develop a peer support network that will help them to stop the cycle of abuse and violence by supporting each other's efforts to apply the new life skills and coping strategies they are learning which are necessary to function as healthy, self-sufficient and productive citizens.
When a honey bee returns to the hive after finding a good pollen source, it gives out samples of the flower’s nectar to its hive mates and performs a dance that details the distance, direction, quality and quantity of the food supply. The richer the food source, the longer and more vigorous the dance. Our Honeycomb Collection was inspired by honey bees.
Over the last three years more than one in three honey bee colonies has died nationwide, posing a serious risk to our natural food supply. One cause of these losses is an alarming phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder, or “CCD.” When a hive experiences CCD, the honey bees mysteriously desert their hive and die.
Reasons to be concerned about honey bees and CCD:
One out of every the three bites of food an average American eats is directly attributed to honey bee pollination.
Honey bees are responsible for the pollination of more than 100 crops, including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and provide 80 percent of the country’s pollination services.
The honey bee is responsible for $15 billion in U.S. agricultural crops each year.
Honey bees fly approximately 10 to 15 miles per hour and visit about 50—100 flowers in each pollination trip.
To produce one pound of honey, honey bees must visit two million flowers and fly 55,000 miles
Researchers do not know exactly what causes CCD, but they believe there may be many factors contributing to the problem, including viruses, mites, chemical exposure and poor nutrition. CCD symptoms have been reported by more than thirty-five states across the U.S. and in many other countries. No one is more affected by the honey bee crisis than local beekeepers. Many have lost entire hives to CCD, and their knowledge is a valuable resource for understanding the challenge we face.
Ways to support these bee guardians:
Buy local honey and hive products such as beeswax candles.
Use natural honey as an alternative to processed sugar at home and in restaurants. It’s the “greenest” form of sugar!
Learn more about honey bees and beekeeping by checking out the following Web sites:
