Bold Giving - Penny Pincher Fashion

When I was solidifying the details for my jewelry line, I knew that I wanted to donate some of the proceeds to charity. I made the decision long ago that if I was ever given the chance to create my own clothing or accessory line, I would use that as an opportunity to give back. As I mentioned in last week’s post, 20% of the net sales from my upcoming jewelry collection will be donated to Feed My Starving Children. This particular charity is one that is near to my heart & I wanted to share more about that with you today. FMSC is a non-profit organization that provides nutritional rice packs to children in countries across the globe with the goal of ending world hunger. What I love about their business model is that it’s volunteer-driven & they have set it up in a way that reinforces accountability so that more than 99% of meals shipped reach their intended destination.

Earlier this summer, we had the opportunity to go as a family to one of their mobile packing events that was being held in our area. Whenever possible, we try to include our kids in community service projects and volunteering because it’s a wonderful experience for them to see outside of their world and to practice selflessness & compassion. After watching the videos and learning more about what FMSC does, we were given instructions on how the packing process works and what stations we would each be in charge of. We then spent the next 4 hours in an assembly-line filling up pouches with their special blend of rice, vegetables & protein and packing them into boxes to fill the pallets that would be loaded onto their truck. These boxes are then shipped out to their overseas partners to be distributed to areas in need.

My son was in charge of holding the pouch while it was filled and my daughter & I sealed each pack shut

We helped the kids find a task they felt comfortable with and we came up with a special cheer to shout out every time we successfully filled a box with rice packs. Not only was it rewarding to see the hundreds of boxes that we completed that afternoon, but it gave me such joy to do it alongside my husband & kids and to see their eagerness to work hard at the jobs they were given. At the end of the day, we hadn’t quite finished all of the pouches they’d given us at our station and, though we’d already been on our feet for hours, I was so proud when my kids asked if we could stay past the cut-off time so we could fill the rest of the empty boxes.

As a fashion blogger, my job can feel quite frivolous at times…and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me. I want to be remembered for so much more than sharing deals and giving style advice. I couldn’t look back on my years of blogging feeling proud about the work I’d done if I knew I didn’t use this platform for something greater & more meaningful. However my site may change & grow in the future, I feel very strongly that I always want giving back to be a central theme. I hope that by sharing my experience with you today, you will be encouraged that you don’t have to open your wallet to make a difference – you can give of your time & skills and still have a tremendous impact. The video below is just one of a thousand reasons why I am passionate about donating to this charity & it’s a touching reminder of the power that we have to change lives.

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