Once I realized that this business was going to work, I knew that I wanted it to be a socially responsible business that gives back to our local AND global communities. But I thought that had to wait until we were making a certain amount of profit before implementing such a program. Two things happened that made me change my mind about the timeline.
First, I saw Dr. Katherine Hamlin on Oprah. She has dedicated her life to curing women in Ethiopia of fistulas, a horrible condition that can happen during obstructed childbirth. She opened the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in 1974 and has treated over 25,000 women at no charge. I cried while I watched that interview. I also decided that when Jessicurl could start donating money, I wanted that hospital to be the first recipient. I realized what a luxury it is for us to be so concerned with frizz-free curls!
Soon after that, I saw an interview on TV with Michael Franti, lead singer of the band Spearhead. Spearhead is known for their socially conscious lyrics and for speaking out about injustice in the world and their music is basically the soundtrack of the Jessicurl factory. :-) During the interview, Franti referred to the band as a "human rights organization."
This caused an immediate shift in my paradigm of what goals I can set for my business. I thought, "If a band can be a human rights organization, can't my Jessicurl?" All of a sudden, my business became about a lot more than hair!!
Since that time we’ve raised over $4800 for a variety of different charities and also seek out other ways that Jessicurl can give back to the world around us. Had it not been for Oprah and Michael Franti, who knows how long it would have taken me to get there.
Nov. 14,
2005
Jess meets Michael Franti,
one of the inspirations for the
Women Around The World program.
In this time of large companies outsourcing American jobs to other countries, we are growing more and more committed to acting locally while thinking globally. As a small business in Humboldt County, CA, we feel strongly about contributing to the economic growth of our hometown. While some businesses of our size might find it more convenient to outsource product manufacturing to a major cosmetics production facility in another part of the country (or overseas), we are determined to grow our business in our county, thus creating much needed jobs for our local economy. As our production needs grow, so too will the number of local people we employ. Humboldt County has been very kind to us in the short time we’ve lived here and we plan on giving back for as long as we can.
As a young woman business owner, I am very aware of how LUCKY I am to be a woman in THIS country. I am allowed the freedom to own a business, keep my maiden name after being married, and I can wear whatever I feel like when I leave my house. Not all women of the world are afforded these freedoms, and the difference between us and them is simply a matter of where we are born. Our potential as women is basically left entirely up to fate, and this irony is just too strong for me to ignore. I don’t consider myself any more important than women in third world countries.
For this reason, I have never viewed our Public Service program as optional. I believe we’re all in this together, and for as long as I’m around I’ll be doing what I can to help as many people as I can. There’s no reason why a hair company can’t also be a human rights organization. :-)
One of my favorite bands, Spearhead, has a song lyric that really sums up this idea for me: “No life worth more than any other, no sister worth less than any brother.”
Jessicurl launched the
Women Around The World program in May 2004 when we
took donations for the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital
in Ethiopia. Thanks to everyone that donated and
even those who simply bought our products. Your
contributions made it possible for Jessicurl to
donate $900, enough to cure two women suffering
from fistulas.
Every few months we
will feature a different charity that is working to
support women around the world (including here in
the U.S.). It is our hope that by spotlighting the
great work done by these charities, Jessicurl
customers will be as inspired as we are to make
their own donations.
To make
this as easy as possible, and also to encourage
your generosity, the Jessicurl shopping cart now
offers the option of making a donation to our
featured charity. As an incentive, Jessicurl will
reward your contribution with a discount code for
savings on your next order. This is how it boils
down:
*Donate $10 and get 10% off your next order.
*Donate $25 and get 15% off your next order.
*Donate $50 and we'll give you 2 free 8oz. bottles of the product of your choice.
*Donate $100 and we'll give you 1 free liter of the product of your choice.
If you would like to make a donation, but don’t want the discount card, we will gladly send it to whomever you like.
We think this is such a good idea that we’re actively trying to get other women owned internet businesses to adopt this awesome fundraising model. Imagine how much money could be raised?? Please check out the website of our friend Becky Yeager at SpiritGoat.com. Becky is generously offering bars of wonderful hand made soap in exchange for your donation to the Cache County Children's Justice Center. Becky also participates in the Lotion For Lives program, a collective of toiletry businesses dedicated to giving back to their communities.
We would like to hear about what is important to you. To suggest a charity you'd like Jessicurl to support, contact: publicservice@jessicurl.com
Learn about our current featured charity, Smile Train
I was informed about our newest featured charity, Smile Train, by a young friend named Clay Keniston. Clay is 10 years
old and has taken up the cause of raising $5,000 for Smile Train. Nobody suggested this to him, it was all his own idea after reading about it in a magazine.
The mission of Smile Train is to provide free cleft lip and palate surgery for millions of poor children in developing countries and to provide free cleft-related training for doctors and medical professionals.
Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly, aren't allowed to attend school or hold a job, and face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache. For as little as $250 and a 45 minute surgery, every child with a cleft can be helped
Clay learned about Smile Train last fall and knew that Jessicurl welcomes suggestions about what charities to support. He brought it to our attention over Thanksgiving, which seemed especially fitting. Clay's goal is to raise a total of $5,000. He has already raised $1350, including $200 from setting up a table at his school. Two other donors gave him $125 each. The rest has come from doing chores for his parents, all of which he puts in a jar to be given to Smile Train.
I am SO impressed and inspired by Clay's philanthropy. It's not often you meet a kid who so badly wants to help other kids. As someone also dedicated to helping others, I really want to encourage Clay in his endeavors.
In that vein, I'm REALLY excited to feature Smile Train as the current featured charity at Jessicurl.com. Usually, once we are done raising money for a given charity, we send a check directly to the charity from the Jessicurl Public Service bank account where we keep donated money separate from Jessicurl operating funds. This time, however, we will be making the donation to Clay, who will then in turn send all the funds to Smile Train. This way he can reach his $5,000 goal that much faster, and hopefully continue raising even more money on his own.
As with all our featured charities, when you use the Jessicurl.com shopping cart to make a donation we will thank you with a discount on a future Jessicurl.com purchase. Thank you in advance, not only for helping the children of Smile Train, but also for fostering the philanthropic spirit of our next generation.
