— Maya Angelou
I have a great friend at work named Allenna. She LOVES to make things happen. If you need 1,000 pounds of sand....she's got a guy. Thinking about throwing a chili cook-off.....she can get it underwritten. She loves to talk people out of their money for a good cause. She's hysterically funny and a little bit irreverent and has a deep desire to make the world a better place.
When she found out I about our trip to Africa her superpowers kicked into overdrive. She immediately signed over a check she received as part of serving her jury duty - but for Allenna that was not enough. As timing would have it Allenna's mother-in-law had recently attended a jewelry sale. And not just any run of the mill jewelry sale. Genuine pearls purchased directly from vendors in China and designed in the most exquisite creations at the hand of a benevolent artisan. Allenna sent me the designer's information and we soon became internet BFF's. Before I ever met Margaret Palmer face to face i had a glimpse of her deep sense of compassion. She started her jewelry business as a way to give back. Every time Margaret presents a sale, a portion of the proceeds go to the host's charity of choice. The American Cancer society and Habitat for Humanity are just a couple of the charities who have received thousands from these sales. In fact, she created a gorgeous line of jewelry to benefit the Cancer Society. The necklace below is an example of colors she brought together to represent the different types of cancer. She states so eloquently on her website how she came up with this creation, "A pearl grows when a rough, irritating piece of sand is trapped within the tender flesh of an oyster. The oyster forms layer after layer of protective shell around the irritant until it is transformed into a beautiful pearl. Cancer is the irritant that we need to surround with layers of love and support. You and your prayers are the layers of protection for a cancer victim."
Please check out all of her great jewelry benefitting ACS at Margaret Palmer Jewelry
As soon as I told her about the vision of providing dental care to the orphans of Addis Ababa she didn't hesitate to commit to having a sale. And to boot she gave me some great ideas to get additional donations.
So one Thursday evening women from all over the metroplex came to my mother's house and selected some unique and VERY AFFORDABLE pieces. So much so that Ms. Palmer donated just shy of $1,000 to our trip!!! It was amazing and I am so grateful for her generosity and for all of the people who came by and bought pearls.
With her gift, we were already able purchase video cameras for the orphanage that Gladney oversees. These cameras are essential to the adoption process as they allow the proceedings to be recorded preventing any question of the validity of the adoption once the child gets to their forever home. We have also been able to buy craft supplies to use as a mini-vacation Bible school for the children as they wait to see the dentist. I am thrilled about the idea of each child being able to sit and make crafts that they will be able to decorate on their own and keep for themselves. For most of this children this may be the first thing they can TRULY call their own and know it was made specifically for them.
Three months ago I could not imagine where money was going to come from for this trip - once again I am reminded that my little mind cannot comprehend the unlimited creativity God has and bestows on me. And I am also reminded that you should never underestimate the power of a woman and her willingness to buy jewelry!
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