Whoever came up with Giving Tuesday, thank you! Because I was definitely one of those buyers saving all their purchases until this one day/weekend. And yes! I totally went to town and it consumed my brain the full weekend because…WHO DOESN’T WANT TO SAVE MONEY?! But, I’ve learned that for every item I gain, I need to give something away. And I’m not talking about decluttering (per se). It’s all about the balance.
Giving can be done in lots of ways. In fact, it was important to us here at Lars to focus on this idea of clever giving this holiday season, hence why we made out printable advent calendar a list of things to do for other people to go along with the Light the World campaign. They are simple things we can do to serve those around us in whatever capacity and place we are in.
While I’m pumped about serving in small ways, I’m also pumped about Giving Tuesday because I FINALLY found an organization that I’m thrilled to be attached to and contribute my support. It’s a non-profit organization called Nest, that I first came across earlier this year when we participated in a 25 day challenge with them (see the post here). And I’m sure you can guess why I was thrilled to learn about them. Here’s why:
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What is Nest all about?
1) Global economic inclusivity. Nest is focused on increasing the supply and demand for responsible handcraft, generating economic opportunity for (the 300 million) home-based workers at the bottom of the supply chain.
2) Women’s well-being. Craft-based work is the second largest employer of women globally—providing a source of livelihood to those limited in their ability to work outside the home. Using universal standards for homes and small workshops, Nest is making female handworkers visible while promoting their fair access to social and economic opportunity.
3) Cultural preservation. Around the world, time honored cultural traditions embedded in craftsmanship are in danger of being lost. Nest is committed to reviving these techniques through business innovation and a shift in consumer perception surrounding the value of handcraft.
Why are we working with Nest?
When we started developing our collaboration with Eighteen B, a woman founded business, and ours, all women founded and run, I knew I wanted to find another women-focused organization to partner with for Giving Tuesday and Eighteen B was right on board to make our partnership with Nest happen.
The genesis of my interest in supporting home-based artisans stemmed from my time working with an architecture group led by Travis Price called Spirit of Place – Spirit of Design, based in Washington DC right after graduate school (see above). I spent some time in Nepal with them in a tiny village for a few weeks where they constructed a monument to memorialize their ancestors. It was there that I learned about the importantance of cultural and language preservation and how so much of it is being lost or forgotten.
Now that I work in a craft-based job myself, I’ve come to realize the necessity and vibrancy that craft-based work offers to the world in addition to their own livelihoods. And I’m lucky to have a platform to share this message with you.
How to give?
So, how our partnership is working today is that for every The House That Lars Built Eighteen B holiday set you purchase, Eighteen B will give $5 to Nest. If you’ve been waiting to purchase one, consider this a wonderful way to give and support a beautiful cause.
You can purchase a holiday set here.
Learn more about Nest here