Happy holidays! Thank you all for making our MIT sale a success! Our best sale yet, we made over $5300! Many of you have contacted me to ask how you can purchase jewelry from other parts of the US (and, in fact, other parts of the world), and the great news is that we plan to start marketing online, hopefully by the end of January 2008. There are other ways you can continue your involvement with Emerge, including sponsorship of one of the girls in our program or a donation to Emerge on behalf of another.
A commitment to help change a life… become an 2008 Emerge Sponsor! I want to invite each of you to support the girls we work with through the Emerge Sponsorship Program. The Emerge Sponsorship Program provides each girl with her own tools and supplies for the year. Throughout the year, Emerge photographs each girl’s favorite work for her own portfolio. At the end of the year, sponsors receive a book showcasing the girl’s favorite pieces. This will enable the sponsor to see how the beads were used and watch as the girls style develops. The portfolio gives a sense of completion and accomplishment to each artist and encourages her to take pride in her work. Sponsorship is $200 for the year. We aim to have all girls matched to a sponsor by January, so sign up now!
It’s not to late to support our work as a gift to another We still have Gifts With Impact cards available. Gifts With Impact cards enable you to give to Emerge as a gift to another during the holidays. With your donation, you will receive handmade cards to give to loved ones that explain how your donation on their behalf supports teenage mothers in Sri Lanka. To request cards and make a donation, please email Alia (alia@emergeglobal.org) and include the size of your donation, the number of cards you would like, and your mailing address.
A big thank you as we head into 2008 As we draw close to the end of the year, I want to thank each of you for your support and encouraging words. It’s incredible to think that just 12 months ago I was finalizing my visa and packing my bags with bundles of beads for a four-month trip to Sri Lanka to develop Emerge. In the past year, Emerge has gained tremendous momentum, growing from a program that I hoped would transform the lives of 20 persevering girls to an organization of dedicated individuals who aim to further Emerge’s reach to young women across Sri Lanka. We have expanded our work to include the support of a new group of girls who make drawstring bags to hold the jewelry, identified a bead program coordinator to supervise our work in Sri Lanka, established our graphic identity, including a logo, website, and brochure, begun discussions for supplying various stores around the US, and established an incredible team of individuals who will help Emerge’s mission not only grow, but thrive. To date, Emerge has supported more than 40 girls and we aim to serve many more, expanding our work throughout Sri Lanka in the next year. In less than a month, three of us will head to Sri Lanka to investigate next steps for impact, growth and longevity of Emerge.
Again, thank you for your support and belief in our work. You have made Emerge the reality that it is today.