We're in the home stretch of our redesign project with the ladies of Sisterhood Boutique – today is the final day! But when we first chatted with the team, they said they needed help in thinking about user experience - how could they make their mission loud and clear, but be chic at the same time? So for Day 48, we're incorporating meaningful special touches throughout the store, knowing that thoughtful details make a big difference in any retail space. And with the help of our partners in this project, The Progressive North, and a generous boost from Pillsbury United Communities and Wells Fargo, doing the doable went a very long way! photos by Rebecca Studios We purchased jewelry holders, gold frames for pricing, a letter board, books, plants, vases, lamps, light fixtures, rugs, and mirrors...and voila! The space was transformed. The little touches brought everything together – they created dimension, a comforting and chic feel, and freshened up the entire store. … [Read more...] about The Final Touches
Campaigns
Details Make the Difference
We’re right in the middle of our collaborative redesign of Sisterhood Boutique, a woman-run social enterprise serving the East African community of Minneapolis. After painting the walls white, we knew we needed something to add some life and color – something modern and beautiful. So we decided to once again combine forces with Changemakers in the neighborhood – The Progressive North, Pillsbury United Community, and a grant from Wells Fargo – to make a small change that would add a whole lot of life to those white walls. A wall installation! The women of Sisterhood Boutique were so excited at the prospect. They had dreamed of elevating their space to something that felt more professional and modern, and this was just the ticket. We hired a carpenter named Paul – and he poured his heart and soul into the job! He even brought his own clothes to donate to the store after spending some time with the founders and learning more about their mission. The wall installation took … [Read more...] about Details Make the Difference
Face to Face
The ladies Sisterhood Boutique, who we first met on Day 43, are women of many talents. They own a shop in Minneapolis – where everything is $12 or less! – and they also have an internship program for high school students. Each quarter, high school girls learn business skills, get advice on career development, and are mentored by the women at the shop. So we had an idea. Why not partner with The Progressive North – our friends in Changemaking in Minneapolis – to fuel these internships? Generously backed by Pillsbury United Communities and a grant from Wells Fargo, we set out to do just that! We coordinated one-on-one sessions between everyday adults from ARC, The Progressive North, and youth in this quarter’s cohort. We brought everyone together during one of their regular meetings during the week. Then everyone partnered up – one intern to one adult – and chatted for a few minutes. The conversation was flowing! Leah from ARC chatted about career plans with a girl named … [Read more...] about Face to Face
Will You Be Our Valentine?
For our special Valentine’s Day edition of Changemakers 365, we’re taking a short break from our redesign of Sisterhood Boutique and hopping to Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda. Our ARC teammates in the settlement are spending this Valentine’s Day away from their loved ones, so we’re bringing the love to them. And nothing says Valentine’s Day like chocolate, candy, and messages from the heart. Check out our surprise for the team! Nakivale is home to over 100,000 refugees from across East Africa. Each and every day, our team there pours their heart and soul into their work, supplying the entire camp with clean water and providing services that help people heal from abuse and trauma. We wanted our valentine to be as big as their hearts! Who doesn’t love a good surprise? Each bag included a personal Valentine’s message, letting them know we’re thinking about them today, and everyday. “Thank you for bringing the blessings. You are putting a smile on our faces!” … [Read more...] about Will You Be Our Valentine?
From Shabby to Chic
Yesterday, we met Sisterhood Boutique, a social enterprise run by women from the East African community in Minneapolis. The boutique is a space meant especially for girls and offers stylish looks at affordable prices – everything in the store is $12 or less! Since the boutique launched a few years ago, they’ve come a long way in growing their business and serving the community. But it was time for a change - they were ready for a step forward. So we’re working with our friends at The Progressive North to help them get to the next level! On today's docket? Furniture! Many of the things the Boutique used were either donated or purchased at outlet stores. So they had a hodgepodge collection of furniture, and not always of the best quality. They wanted new ways to display the clothes and accessories for sale. Our friends at Pillsbury United Fund generously match our funds for this project, which allowed us to go further and farther for these ladies! We were able to purchase … [Read more...] about From Shabby to Chic
Sisterhood Boutique
Everyone needs a space to call their own. Especially young people. But for the young women of the East African community in Minneapolis, there just aren't a lot of places where they can be themselves. Enter Sisterhood Boutique. “Young women didn’t have space in the community,” said Yasameen, one of the Boutique's longtime employees. "The guys were taking over the sports, computers, etc...those types of spaces." Founded by women of the East African community, Sisterhood Boutique is a social enterprise run mostly by women. They sell gently used clothing - and all for under $12. When the store opened four years ago, the girls chose a bright purple paint for the walls that made a statement. But now, they want something different - something more neutral that will make space for them to be creative in other ways. So for Day 42, and in partnership with The Progressive North, we're helping the girls get a jump start on their new vision. Along with some amazing volunteers from … [Read more...] about Sisterhood Boutique
Good Business
Starting a new business is tough. It takes dedication, creative thinking, and access to resources. But for most people at Nakivale Refugee Settlement, that last piece is sometimes missing. There just aren’t a ton of resources available. The Nakivale Rotaract Club is starting a bunch of small ventures at once – a poultry project, farming cooperatives, and now, a tailoring shop. This group of young people are ambitious and scrappy, but it’s a lot of work balancing them all. So for Day 42. we’re helping the women who run the tailoring shop build their business with some essential things they need to keep going. We got this group of woman another sewing machine that will expand their business, along with some supplies, too. Now they can bring another seamstress on board, and take on new customers. It’s not a lot, but it’s small steps that will lead to big things for these ladies. And they’re not giving up – they’re just getting started. … [Read more...] about Good Business
Seeds of Change
Farming is the most common way to build a livelihood in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. But there's lots of ways to go about it - some people have their own individual small farms, while others form groups that work together to save for a specific need. For Day 41, the Nakivale Rotaract Club had an idea to support one of these collectives in particular – a women’s group. The group is a way for women to support each other, to band together in learning, working, and build toward their goals. And they were looking to grow. There are a lot of things that any farmer needs to have a successful crop – seedlings, fertilizer, good soil, and just the right weather. We can’t control all these things, but there was something we could do, together with the Rotaractors. We could get them more seeds! And not just that, the right tools to help them tend to the seedlings. These women don’t let the restrictions they face in Nakivale stop them from doing the things they want to do. With … [Read more...] about Seeds of Change
Count Your Chickens
Youth make up 60% of the population in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. So there are A LOT of young people who are coming into their own, looking for purpose and meaning. And one group who’s done an incredible job doing just that are the Nakivale Rotaractors. The Nakivale Rotaract Club is a service-oriented youth group that meets together once per week, dreaming up ideas (big and small) for how to give back to the community. All refugees themselves, they know well the obstacles that their peers face – and they have brilliant ideas for how to overcome them. A lot of their ideas center around how to get a little extra income – like so many young people around the world, having some pocket cash to try new things, or maybe even start your own business, is an exciting prospect. But instead of mowing lawns or working at a coffee shop, these youngsters were thinking of a way to add value in this refugee camp context – chickens! “Poultry rearing is a profitable livelihood initiative, … [Read more...] about Count Your Chickens
A Change of Clothes
When refugees leave their home countries, they often run with nothing. And they arrive at places like Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda often with only the clothes they were wearing the day they left. So the Nakivale Rotaract Club had an idea. The Rotaract Club in Nakivale is a service group for youth - it's made up of young people (refugees themselves) who want to give back. As the very first Rotary entity in a refugee camp, they're pioneers. And they have lots of ideas. For Day 39, the Rotaract Club at Nakivale wanted to help these newly arrived refugees feel a little more comfortable - and dignified. And it was simple. More clothes! When refugees first arrive at Nakivale, their first point of entry is the Reception Center. But they could stay there for weeks at a time, lacking access to the other services the camp offers. "When refugees arrive here," said Andrew from the ARC team, "they don't have any new clothing to change into. It's hard to keep good hygiene up." … [Read more...] about A Change of Clothes