Last night I had the pleasure of working with Everywhere to co-host an amazing event at Macy’s for the Heart of Haiti collection where I met honored guests like Ambassador to Haiti, Laura Graham who serves as the COO of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund that helps Haiti “build back better,” Willa Shalit who, through FairWinds Trading has brought incredible products from Haiti to the United States to benefit artisans such as Pascale, who traveled to Haiti to be with us tonight.
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| From top left-right: Pascale and hostesses Stacey Ferguson, Ananda Leeke, myself, and Xina Eiland |
It’s hard to forget the devastation that the earthquake caused almost two years ago. The flattened buildings, the incredible loss of lives, the fact that families were torn apart in a matter of minutes. 230,000 people died, 300,000 were injured, and 1,000,000 were made homeless.
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| Tent camps in Haiti |
Heart of Haiti is a collection of home décor handcrafts made by hand by Haitian artisans. The purchase of one of these products helps Haitian artisans preserve their cultural history, restore their homes, and rebuild their communities. It also helps the artists send their children to school because public education in Haiti doesn’t exist.
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| Paper mache leaf platters |
I’ve always been a fan of fair trade products- products that provide the producers with a fair price for their goods and services. Heart of Haiti is a fair trade program and I love that the sales of the products at Macy’s puts real, sustainable income into the hands of the artisans who create them, changing their lives in remarkable ways as they look to rebuild their lives and communities.
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| A picture frame from the collection. Every item is truly unique! |
Artists like Pascale, who I first met last year in Miami and got to see again tonight, are proud of the products they make for Heart of Haiti and the income being generated by their sales. Tonight we presented Pascale with a purse to represent the money she’s making from the sale of the her paper maché bowls, ornaments, and sculptures.
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| Elena @CiaoMom and Aimee @SmilingAimee shop for holiday gifts |
If you’re looking for holiday gifts that give back, consider purchasing items from the Heart of Haiti collection at Macy’s. The collection can be found in stores and also online.
As a hostess, I received items from the Heart of Haiti collection. No compensation was received for this post and all opinions are my own.
Thanks for reading Tech Savvy Mama through your feed!Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
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Loved seeing you!!! Thank you so much for being such a rock-star for the cause. I think that this was one of the best events yet!
It looked like a great event- and I really like projects that give back and empower especially women!
Love the post Leticia! I’m sad I had to miss the event, but I guess living vicariously through you is good enough for me. Excited to see your posts from Haiti! It’s almost here!