When I started Chic-a 9 years ago there were many dreams for how I wanted the company to be. 9 years ago Chic-a was making and selling ceramic buttons!

Chic-a’s Ceramic Buttons

I guess a lot has changed but one thing has stayed the same, I have always wanted to give back/donate part of the profit from sales. Starting a business has been fun and very challenging. I have learned so much and have enjoyed the process. I am so excited that Chic-a is now giving back! I want to help organizations that are making a difference in people’s lives and communities, locally and globally. There is now a page on our website that tells where Chic-a is donating. I have picked two organizations for Chic-a to donate to. Hopefully this list will grow. But for now the two are Red Island Restoration in Madagascar and WillBridge in Santa Barbara. One local and one across the globe.

I met Jamie and Alissa Shattenberg a couple of years ago when they were in Santa Barbara raising support for Red Island Restoration and the Eden Project. I loved what they were doing and wanted to be a part of it. There are two amazing things they are doing in Madagascar.  They have started The Sarobidy Maternity Center. This is what Chic-a is donating to.

This is a place where pregnant women can come and receive compassionate and competent free prenatal care and education throughout the duration of pregnancy.This is saving mothers and babies lives. Here is a video that tells more.They are also helping some of the women gain financial independence by training them up in different handiwork skills. They are also involved with the reforestation of the Mangrove trees which is restoring the ecosystem. They have planted almost 80 million trees to date! Here is a video that talks about the planting. I am so excited to be able to partner with them in a small way.

WillBridge is the other organization Chic-a is donating to. I have known about WillBridge for about 10 years and have been actively involved with what they do. WillBridge of Santa Barbara is about, “Providing a safe-haven as an alternative to incarceration for chronic homeless, mentally ill adults and females at risk of violent crimes.” Their mission is to bring hope to the hopeless, helping adult individuals transition out of homelessness into productive, vibrant and sustainable life. They work within the homeless community, building bridges to safe havens for community members society views as “hard to reach”. WillBridge is making a difference in Santa Barbara. 60 people went through the program last year and many were reunited with family, employed, or started school and are becoming contributing members to the community.

I am so thrilled to be giving back and helping these organizations. All of you have helped me realize this part of my Chic-a dream. Thank you so much for purchasing and enjoying your Chic-a products. We are all helping to making a difference!