“See this little box?!” says Gucci, who is holding up a petite pink square that’s packed with big potential. Inside is our new limited edition Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm Duo—featuring Lou Lou (a glossy black plum) and Rudey Nudey (the perfect naked mauve) together exclusively on Westman-Atelier.com for the first time.
“These are our most requested juicy tinted shades from last year’s Squeaky Clean Vault!” says Gucci—who plucked them out of the Westman Atelier archive for a very special cause. For every Squeaky Duo sold over the next 12 months, “we’ll donate 100% of the net profits to two incredible charities that are near and dear to my heart.”
On the docket, there’s TimeGivers, the UK-founded platform that connects young people to their communities through volunteering experiences that support local charities. “As a mom, I love that they work with hospitals, animals, community green spaces, refugees, and so many worthy organizations, while teaching kids about the importance of giving back." When it came to choosing a second charity, Gucci looked to Bee Girl Organization—a grassroots non-profit based in Oregon that’s dedicated to bolstering our country’s vital bee habitats. “It’s never been more crucial to support the environment,” says Gucci. “Bee Girl is building our next generation of conservationists.”
As for the fact that the NEW Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Duo arrives just in time for Giving Tuesday—and promises to cross another name (or two!) off your holiday list? Consider it good karma.
TIMEGIVERS
For Kate Deighton, founder of the London-based youth platform known as TimeGivers, the proverbial light-bulb moment came three years ago. As a mother in search of volunteer opportunities for her children, she found it surprisingly difficult to access meaningful drop-in experiences that could connect them to their community. “I realized that there was a real gap in the market of children giving back and learning to look at, or even beyond, their own ecosystems,’” says Deighton, who set out to create something “action-based, joyful, proactive, and enlightened” that could shape the global citizens of tomorrow.
Enter TimeGivers, a burgeoning female-founded organization that provides consistent and thoughtful volunteer opportunities for school children and families. Whether it’s baking apple crumbles and delivering them to a local homeless shelter, joining together in the clean-up of local greenspaces, writing Valentine’s cards to the elderly, or filling shoe boxes with gifts for children who don’t have holiday presents, each event is designed with “a beginning, middle, and end” in mind that provides a tangible sense of accomplishment. “Our work builds relationships, creates human connections, and gives children the opportunity to learn new skills, while growing in confidence and experiencing the gift of service,” says Deighton. “We’re just getting started.”
To learn more about TimeGivers, visit timegivers.com and follow @timegivers on Instagram.
BEE GIRL ORGANIZATION
A quick scroll through founder Sarah Red-Laird’s Instagram feed provides a compelling snapshot of the Bee Girl Organization’s vital work: As a conservationist who logs time in the country’s most spectacular rural landscapes, Red-Laird can be spotted monitoring bee species amidst fields of bright flowers near Yellowstone National Park, working alongside female ranchers to support nectar-producing blooms in their Montana pastures, or serving up craft honey cocktails at a local fundraiser in Ashland, Oregon.
“Our mission is to bolster bee habitat conservation through research, regeneration, art, & education,” explains Red-Laird of her non-profit grassroots group. “We work shoulder-to-shoulder with farmers, wine makers, universities, government entities, policy makers, and partner nonprofits to understand and address issues in agriculture that affect bees.” Spend five minutes reading “Hum from the Hive,” Red-Laird’s charming blog, and you’ll see why it matters. According to her sources:
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One out of every three bites of food that we eat is thanks to a bee’s work.
- Honey bees, and their close native bee cousins, add $29 billion to the US farm income through pollination services.
- Aside from the direct benefit of human food pollination, bees facilitate the reproduction of nearly 90% of plants.
Bee Girl is a 100% women-run organization—and yet it’s worth noting, adds Red-Laird, that “less than 1 percent of global philanthropy goes to women-led environmental initatives.” Translation: Fundraising has never been more crucial—because Bee Girl’s mission is as universal as it gets. “We envision a future where kids frolic in pastures of flowers, buzzing with bees, alongside happy, healthy, ecological farmers and ranchers,” says Red-Laird. We’ll hum to that.
To learn more about Bee Girl Organization, visit beegirl.org and follow Sarah on Instagram!
