AN UPDATE FROM MADE BY SURVIVORS

Posted on February 22, 2015 by olivia lin

Made By Survivors Letter

Last September Atiliay held a fundrasier, The Relevee Benefit, with the goal to raise awareness and funds to fight human trafficking.  We raised over $1100 for Made By Survivors to support their work in rescuing, caring, rehabiliating, educating, and employing girls, women, and children of those who are survivors of human trafficking.  We were able to accomplish this with the help of many talented individuals I feel honored to have been able to work with and generous caring donors!

I recently received an update from Made By Survivors and wanted to share it with you.  The story in the letter touched my heart and I just feel really grateful that together we were able to make a positive impact and help do something for these amazing people who have made it through tremendously difficult ordeals and are now thriving!  Read the letter below–

MBS 2015 Update

We should all have the right to live a free life, dream and pursue our goals, and be happy and safe.

Visit Made By Survivors to learn about the life saving work they do.  I also wanted to mention that they are getting ready to launch a new project, Animal People Alliance, which provides animals care as well as creating employment for survivors of human rights abuses!  

 

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FOLLOW ATILIAY ON INSTAGRAM!

Posted on February 22, 2015 by olivia lin

Instagram Stamp by Atiliay

I recently made a change to our Instagram account and you can now find Atiliay on Instagram @Atiliay! Our IG features all things related to our paper goods!  If you are a fellow IG user and lover, I’d love to keep in touch with you there!

My Instagram account used to be a mix of personal and business posts but it felt like it was the right time to separate them.  Initially I was hesitant to have more social media accounts to manage (!) but at the end of the day it made sense to be more focused, cohesive, and very clear to followers what they can expect to see in their feed from Atiliay!

I’m looking forward to sharing upcoming news and projects with you there!

PS: If you are a foodie you can find my kitchen creations and food blog over at @VeganChowDown and for my personal photos (mostly of my animals :) and documenting 100 days of happiness and gratitude) you can follow me @OliviaL902.

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2,416 MEALS RAISED!

Posted on February 22, 2015 by olivia lin

The EEC 1.21.15-2

Thank you to everyone who sent a love card this February and helped us raise 2,416 meals! The meals will be going to feed the little ones who are educated and taken care of at The Ebongalethu Educare Center in Motherwell, South Africa.  The tasty specially formulated porridge they receive will help these children grow, develop, thrive, and have a good start in life!

I hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and thank you for spreading the love!

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VALENTINE’S DAY CARDS FOR A CAUSE CAMPAIGN 2015

Posted on January 31, 2015 by olivia lin

Atiliay Valentine's Day Cards For A CauseAtiliay’s 3rd Annual Valentine’s Day Cards For A Cause Campaign is here! Send a Valentine this love day and help provide nutritious meals for little ones at The Ebongalethu Educare Center Preschool + Nursery so they can get a healthy and strong start in life! This Valentine’s Day celebrate the love you have for all the special people in your life- significant others, friends, and family- while spreading the love all the way to South Africa!

Atiliay’s goal is to raise 21,900 meals– 1 meal for each of the 60 children who attend The EEC for 365 days. Help us reach our goal by ordering a card or having a card sent directly to your recipient (like a Valentine gram)! Each card provides up to 50 meals and comes with information about the cause.

Atiliay Valentine's Day Cards For A Cause Campaign // The Ebongalethu Educare Center, Motherwell, South Africa 1.21.15

There are lots of new designs that feature hand cut stamps, hand lettering, and hand stitching. There’s a card for Settler of Catan lovers, long distance relationships, couples who like to binge watch Netflix, heart nom nom nom boxes and bags for packaging goodies, and more!

All items are available at Atiliay’s Etsy shop.

Please place orders by Monday, February 2nd to ensure delivery by Valentine’s Day! I will continue to take orders after that but it’ll be cutting it close to February 14th. Orders have a 1-3 day processing time and usually take 3-5 days to arrive at its destination. I also offer priority mail shipping (1-3 days to arrive at destination)– just add that listing to your order for faster shipping. If you have already placed your order, thank you and it is being processed!

Atiliay's Valentine's Day Cards For A Cause

Atiliay began as a fundraiser 3 Valentine’s Days ago when I was trying to think of a way to raise meals for The EEC in my car while stuck in rush hour traffic. Thank you to those of you who have been there since the beginning and also to the new friends I have made along the way! It is because of you this idea is a reality and the reason why The EEC can rely on meals consistently being provided for these children. I am truly grateful and thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Happy (early) Valentine’s Day!

Learn more about The Ebongalethu Educare Center located in Motherwell, South Africa.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR // A LOOK BACK AT 2014

Posted on January 4, 2015 by olivia lin

Happy New Year Friends!  I cannot believe we are already in 2015!  I just wanted to thank you for being a part of this journey and wish you a wonderful year full of happiness, love, and laughter!  I also wanted to reflect on what we were able to accomplish together in 2014.  Part of the reason I started Atiliay and began making cards for a cause was because I strongly believe that if everyone does a little bit and we combine our efforts, we can make a strong impact!  With every card or paper goods product each person purchases, we are raising funds together to help support the work of several non-profits and the truly life-saving and life-changing work that they do.

Here are some of the highlights from 2014!

Together we…

…raised 14,621 meals for The Ebongalethu Educare Center Preschool and Nursery!

Atiliay's Valentine's Day Cards For A Cause Campaign

The EEC Preschool and Nursery is located in South Africa and I began sponsoring the center through Food4Africa, after meeting the team on a TOMS shoe drop back in November of 2007.  Their work providing nutritious meals to babies and toddlers to give them a good start in life has a very special place in my heart and it has been so rewarding to share and support their work with you!  Atiliay’s 3rd annual Valentine’s Day Cards For A Cause Campaigns is coming up this February!  Each card provides meals that will be donated to Food4Africa to feed the 60 children who attend The EEC. If you’d like to know when the campaign launches, sign up for Atiliay’s newsletter or follow on social media for all the updates!

…funded 2 more Kiva microloans!

Fathers Day 2014 Kiva Loans

The awesome thing about Kiva loans is that they continue to give and give and give!  Once a loan is repaid that money will go towards another loan and the cycle keeps on going!  The Father’s Day Cards For A Cause Campaign goes towards Kiva loans and we lent to two Fathers trying to improve and expand their businesses to provide for their families and secure a good future for their children- Ali in Lebanon who sells fruits and vegetables and Path in Cambodia who is a cassava farmer.  During Father’s Day of 2015, Atiliay will be raising funds for another loan and we will also use what we have been paid back as well- I am hoping to be able to fund 3 loans this year!

…raised 490 meals for FeedingAmerica.org!

Thanksgiving & Winter Holidays Cards For A Cause Supporting Feeding America

We raised 240 meals from the Thanksgiving Cards For A Cause and 250 meals from Winter Holidays Cards For A Cause for FeedingAmerica.org!  Feeding America works with local food banks throughout the country to provide meals to children, the elderly, families, and anyone who is facing hunger.  Their mission is to feed America’s hungry– which is something 1 in 6 Americans struggles with– through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.  Food is such a big part of the holidays and it’s nice to share some of what we have with others!

 …raised $1167.88 for Made By Survivors to fight against human trafficking! 

The Relevee Benefit

Through The Relevee Benefit we were able to raise funds and awareness about human trafficking! It was really amazing and wonderful to connect with so many creative folks who felt just as passionately as I did about taking a stand against human trafficking and help survivors rebuild and take back their lives.  Made By Survivors fights human trafficking, specifically sexual slavery, in several ways- they rescue and shelter those who are currently enslaved, they educate those who have been rescued as well as children of survivors, they provide job training and employment, and they work with survivors to ensure they are free forever.   Founder Sarah Symon’s story and passion to help those affected by human trafficking is so inspiring– I highly recommend her book, This Is No Ordinary Joy which details her journey with MBS.

In addition to the highlights above, Atiliay also supported Freely In Hope, Room To Read, The Lange Foundation, Knots of Love, Peace of Heart Choir, The Gentle Barn, Schools for Salone, Red Bucket Equine Rescue,  Hands Producing Hope, and All The Arts For All The Kids.  I hope that in 2015 Atiliay can make a bigger impact and donation to these organizations!

I look forward to creating, supporting, and giving throughout the next 12 months and can’t wait to share all of it with you!

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