How do you wear your heart?
I came across PURPOSE Jewelry a couple of months ago when I went to NY NOW, a trade show for all things handmade. The company caught my eye when I learned that their mission—from conception, actualization, to actual proceeds—benefitted the International Sanctuary, a nonprofit that provides holistic care for young women rescued from sex trafficking.
Each piece of PURPOSE jewelry is intricately crafted by a survivor of human trafficking. 100% of the proceeds go immediately goes towards medical and educational programs for those survivors.
If this isn’t an awesome mission, I don’t know what is. Best of all, each piece of jewelry is personally signed by the maker.
Here’s my conversation with Michelle Johnson, the Head of Distribution for PURPOSE.
“PURPOSE Jewelry is the social enterprise and brand under our nonprofit organization, International Sanctuary. The decision to create the PURPOSE brand started over two years ago, and was made to establish a fashion brand that is purposeful and a reflection of inner beauty. We believe you shouldn’t have to sacrifice style to make a difference. We also believe that fashion should empower both you and the person who made it.“
We have a full time jewelry designer who started with PURPOSE about 6 months ago. She designs here, in the United States, and then our Production Coordinator works with our artisans in India to produce the designs. Some of our artisans assist in the process of designing as well. We have a few young women who are very talented in this area!
There are over 20 million people enslaved around the world today.
Types of trafficking include sex trafficking, forced labor, and debt bondage. The average age of entry into trafficking in the US is 12 years old. Even once rescued, girls end up trafficked again an average of 11 times before they are finally free.
PURPOSE Jewelry provides freedom for young women rescued from slavery. Your purchase directly changes a life! It’s simple: The more jewelry we sell, the more women we are able to employ. Your purchases matter and most definitely have the potential to make a difference in this world. When you purchase with PURPOSE®, you are helping give hope, empowerment, and dignity to the brave young women we serve.
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