Jewellery for Hope
We believe every bit helps, and whilst we give many donations it is our belief that this should largely be a private thing and not used as a means to boost our profits by publicizing it, but we do need to say that every cent raised from our Jewellery for Hope collection will be given to the needy. This range is the remainder from so many years in the fashion business, some is retro, some is vintage and some is fairly new but it is all stock with a purpose.
We would like to draw attention to one specific charity that we donate to. Ladles of Love, in Cape Town South Africa. Whilst proudly and patriotically Australian for many years, we were were born and raised and educated in South Africa, we feel that the magnificent work done by Ladles of love needs some publicity, and support.
Read the story below
https://ladlesoflove.org.za/
The story of this charity organisation started when Danny Diliberto participated in a course through the Art of Living Foundation, inspiring him to create a project to give back to society.
Course participants were encouraged to head out into the streets of Cape Town to offer hot tea to homeless people. As a restaurateur, Danny decided instead to make use of his restaurant kitchen and cook up a fresh pot of soup.
While walking the streets of Cape Town, he encountered a homeless man, wrapped in an old duvet, who was shouting and swearing at the world out of frustration. Danny offered him soup and instantly recognised the immense power of this simple gesture. The man stopped shouting, accepted the soup and thanked Danny before continuing on his way. The soup met a basic need. But, more than that, it also had the power to restore dignity, even if just for a moment.
At that moment, the soup kitchen was born.
Uncertainty about how to start a charity did not stop him. On a chilly July evening in 2014, a small team of volunteers came together to serve 70 hot meals at the first official soup kitchen. That same kitchen now happens every week – along with many others – serving hundreds of nutritious meals weekly.
This charities efforts started in Cape Town – a city with a large homeless community and extreme wealth disparity. Pre-pandemic surveys estimated that more than 7 000 people were living on the streets of this city alone, while thousands of families were vulnerable and in need of support. This figure has since increased significantly, and it can sometimes be hard to see how anyone can make a meaningful difference.
A bowl of soup may not sound like much, but it’s a lifeline to some. And when people come together, incredible things happen.
From our humble beginning as a single soup kitchen, we’ve grown our network substantially. In six short years, Ladles of Love has grown from serving 70 meals at our very first soup kitchen to one of the most prolific food charity organisations in South Africa. Today, we support numerous other community kitchens, schools, social enterprises, and NPOs with much-needed groceries and other goods, allowing them to reach out further and touch the lives of the vulnerable who need it now more than ever.