Spoonflower x The Flourish Market Debut Home Collection
What will you remember about how you showed up in the year 2020?
I’ve often asked my 35-year-old self this question as I imagine recapping this unprecedented year when I’m 80 for my future Great Nieces and Nephews.
As a brick + mortar boutique and online shop owner, it’s been a year full of pivots for us as we’ve endeavored to continue our partnerships with the more than 150 brands and nonprofits behind our products that sustain change makers, especially in the midst of a global pandemic.
(Photo by Adelyn Boling.)
It’s also been a year of unexpected opportunities to connect with like minded brands to double down on do-good efforts. It was quite the exciting surprise when Spoonflower approached me last month about doing a collaborative home collection that would be carried in our Downtown Raleigh storefront and online shop, The Flourish Market.
I have been dreaming about launching a social good home collection for years, so when the opportunity was presented to design one alongside one of the most globally admired brands when it comes to social responsibility and commitment to the greater good, it was a quick and obvious “YES!”
Today, we are thrilled to debut the Spoonflower x The Flourish Market Home Collection!
(Photo by Adelyn Boling.)
100% of the profits from this limited edition collection will fund grants for women driving positive social change in their communities.
While we have stewarded most of our profits and donations to nonprofits in our local community and nation this year, we also wanted to continue a special global partnership that puts grant money into the hands of local leaders in rural communities abroad.
These local leaders work with social workers to identify women “on the edge of life” - meaning that without outside intervention they and / or their kids would die within 6 months.
These women are put through a very special personal recovery + business training program, and are given the funds and mentorship needed to launch their own small business.
Past grant funds from our donations have gone to women like Emebet in Ethiopia who went from quite literally living on the edge of life with her 5 kids, to her changing the life trajectory of so many women and families in her community.
In less than 2 years after initially being welcomed into the program, Emebet opened a small coffee stand that became so successful she was able to hire 2 additional women from her community to work alongside her. She was able to put all 5 of her kids in school, an opportunity not available to the majority of kids in the developing world. She was able to take in 7 kids off the street and provide safe housing and food for them, and also pay for them to attend school.
When I last visited with her, we sat on the red dirt floors of her second business, a small cafe, where she employs 3 women from her community. It was while we were chatting through a translator that she told me that she - on her own - had just started “Emebet’s Business School and Grant Program.” She explained to me that she was mentoring 16 extremely vulnerable women from her rural community and helping them launch their small businesses - with her own earnings.
I sat there deeply inspired by her renewed belief in herself, and in other women. Before I left, I asked the translator to ask her one more thing: “What advice do you have for women around the world?”
She responded without skipping a beat: “Emily, go and tell them that they can multiply what’s in their hands.”
In that moment, I looked down at my hands and realized how often I diminish my potential impact by focusing instead on what’s in the hands of others.
“If I only had the platform she has…if I only had the money he has…if I only had the skillset she has…if I only had the network he has…if I only had the confidence she has…if I only had the time he has…then I could…”
This was a year when we left the notion of “if ________ then __________” behind because we were required to examine all that was available in our hands, and we challenged ourselves to show the heck up. It was in the midst of a global pandemic that we realized every last one of us was needed in this fight, and that we could no longer view what we held in our hands as “not enough.” We realized what we held was very powerful, and needed to be put to use.
We sewed masks for health care workers when there was not enough PPE.
We ordered take out from family owned restaurants in our city to help them stay afloat.
We helped our kids and partners (and ourselves!) navigate through tough and confusing emotions.
We gave to nonprofits even when we didn’t know if we would be laid off the next week.
This was the year we finally recognized the realities of our impact and all that we held in our hands. This was the year that something inside of us was unleashed as we stared fear in the face and showed up for one another.
And that - that is what I will remember about 2020.
I wanted to create a home collection that was a visual reminder for each of us to keep the momentum going in unleashing our wild potential and powerful impact, and the fruit that comes when we multiply what’s in our hands.
(Photo By Adelyn Boling.)
In sharing with our local design partner, Alison Citron Hazinski, the background of the heart behind this collection, she created 9 beautiful illustrations. I am a big fan of Glennon Doyle’s 2020 book Untamed, so Alison’s cheetah illustrations were what initially got her on my radar in the early Fall as I felt they embodied “wild potential.” Alison is nationally known for the elegant and elevated whimsy she brings to her designs, and we were honored to partner with her in this give back collection.
(Photo by Adelyn Boling.)
100% of profits from this collaboration collection will put grant funds into the hands of an incredible female local leader in Belize, Julie, who will be launching the same program that has had such great success in Ethiopia. She has 50 women identified for her program launch, and we’re honored to support her vision.
It costs $1,000 to send a woman in Belize through this special personal recovery + business training program, and to launch her business. The ripple effect in her family and community is immense - because that’s what women do - we create a domino effect.
Our goal is to fund all 50 grants this holiday season by raising $50,000. Join us by shopping the Spoonflower x The Flourish Market Collection by clicking HERE today.
Your purchase is full of impact. And so are you. May we walk in that truth this holiday season and beyond.
With Joy,
Founder, The Flourish Market