HOPE Bracelet Project
Donations in High Gear!!
PRESS RELEASE
“We
have nearly 200 sets of beads ready to go and the donations are still coming
in!” commented Cindy Brown, HOPE Bracelet Project volunteer organizer and
glass bead maker. “The sorting
party on April 3rd gave us a great feel for the fantastic bracelet
combinations that come from the donated lampwork and filler beads. We are looking forward to more donations, the beads from the
Flame-A-Thon in May and adding the silver.”
The
sorting party last week was the latest step as The HOPE Bracelet Project is
almost half way to its goal of collecting the materials for 500 bracelets.
The bracelets will be created by the ladies at the Medhane-Alem School in
Yetebon, Ethiopia with bracelet-making skills taught by volunteer “trainers”
from Denver.
All
lampwork artists are invited to support HOPE Bracelets at a May 31st
Flame-A-Thon Bead Making Celebration, hosted by Bella
Glass & Stencils, 1445 Lamar in Lakewood, CO. “Anyone is welcome to
join us for a day of bead making and celebration!” comments project organizer
and bead jewelry artist Betsy Wiersma. Strings
Restaurant and project organizer Tammy Cunningham will provide fabulous food for
the volunteer artists and all beads made will be for the bracelets.
Volunteer project organizers are ecstatic to report
that over $10,000 of donations of fantastic lampwork beads, filler beads, and
bracelet making supplies have flooded in to support the HOPE Bracelet Project.
“At the shows in Tucson, everyone said YES!” commented Tammy
Cunningham, project volunteer. “And
people thanked us for the opportunity to participate in such a BIG IDEA!”
Donations range from all the tools and Soft Flex from Mike
Sherman and Scott Clark at Soft Flex Corporation, to an estimated total of 1000
lampwork beads from 18 Featured Artists and 14 Participating Artists.
Nine Project Partners have supported with brochure creation and design,
custom-photography and promotional postcards, cash donations and other supplies.
Donations have come from across the US and more beads are coming in every
day as state bead societies are organizing their member donations to help us.
“We
are in the process of securing the sterling sliver clasps and other metal beads
to add to the lampwork beads and to make the bracelets complete,” comments
Tammy Cunningham, one of the volunteer project managers.
“We need a few more of the basics:
crimps, jump rings, and some bags for the packaging.”
“We also have a graphic designer donating a mini-brochure that will
tell the Project story and credit all the donors.”
The world is a small place.
In America, so many of us are blessed with beautiful homes, bountiful
foods, education and a country that supports our “American dream” and
quality of life. This is not the
case, however, in Africa and in particular Yetebon, Ethiopia.
The HOPE Bracelet Project is designed to share the talents
and resources of a group of motivated volunteers in America with the people of
Ethiopia through donations to the Project Mercy Organization’s Women’s Skill
Enhancement Program. Our Project
will help “teach them to fish” and create an ongoing source of new skills,
revenue and pride in their craft. A
Literacy Program is also in place to train the women to read, write and do the
math to track the revenue accounting.
For more information and a donation form visit our web site
at http://cindybeads.com/projectmercy.htm or call Betsy
Wiersma at 720-200-0271.