Why I choose to give back

Starting off as a small company I knew money would be tight at the beginning, but I also knew that giving back to the community was a necessity, no matter how sales were going. And that is why I decided to choose a charity, both international and local, to donate a portion of sales to every quarter.

I am lucky enough to have grown up with parents who wanted to give me the world, take me on trips and expose me to different experiences and cultures. I learned a lot as I grew up but the most important thing I learned was that I should be very thankful for everything I have and not everyone is as fortunate.

Having visited Peru every year since I could remember, I would always see children begging on the street for money for food, selling candies or doing jumping tricks on the road in hopes of getting some money from the crowd waiting for the stop light to turn green. My parents made it a point to make sure both my sister and I witnessed these events. We realized there were many children and people out there in need of help, whether it be money, food, our time or a simple smile to acknowledge them. It drove home the importance of giving back.

When I was younger I volunteered in various organizations, learned a lot about people and their stories, some sad, others very sad and some even with happy endings. I’ve folded baby clothes for crisis centers, fed the homeless and even translated for Spanish speaking patients in American clinics. The experiences were many, but they all resulted in that warm “feel good” feeling. You know what I’m talking about. And although it may sound selfish, it’s true. Part of why I give back is because knowing that I made a positive impact in someone’s day makes me feel good, it makes me happy. And who doesn’t like doing things that make them happy?

As I’ve grown up and as my time becomes more valuable, I’ve chosen to narrow in on causes that are important to me, starting with giving back to Peru. The first quarter of this year I chose the Peruvian American Medical Society as the charity. This is an American charity comprised of Peruvian-American doctors who travel back to Peru to establish clinics, provide free services and positively impact the health of Peruvians. I was lucky enough to be elected as the Auxiliary President and tasked with choosing a charity to support this year in my dad’s hometown of Tarapoto. I dug and dug, cold-emailed and called many organizations until I finally got a hold of one in dire need of our support, Prite Nino Jesus. This school for children, ages 0-3 years old, with special needs, provides personalized care to 30 students to help develop the skills to be able to integrate into everyday schooling at the age of 3. Halfway through the year, we are already halfway to our goal to provide Prite Nino Jesus with essentials such as blankets, nursery supplies, electronics and perhaps even help fund an extension to the school to allow more students. And all this was made possibly in part by daph. customers.

This August I’ll be able to visit the Prite in Tarapoto and donate all of our collection to the organization myself, along with other committee members. I cannot wait to be able to see the children there and know that what I worked so hard on will contribute to making their lives a little bit easier and hopefully have a positive impact on their educational future.

Knowing that we all have different causes that are close to our heart, this quarter I will chose an organization in St. Louis who helps our furry friends. Being an avid animal lover, (seriously, almost every adventure I go on involves animals – thanks to my boyfriend for putting up with me!) why not give back to an organization that helps those who can’t speak for themselves. This next quarter we will be donating proceeds to All New Hope, read more about them here. 

So next time you find yourself on the fence about buying our anita bucket bag or snagging one of the few nicole. fanny packs left, remember that yes, you’re buying yourself or a loved one a one of a kind piece, but you are also giving back to an organization that desperately needs your support and will value your donation like you can’t even imagine.