Dignity Regained

Thanksgiving Sale!

2011-11-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone had a great turkey day. Marshall and I are up in the mountains for the weekend with family having a great time. But just because we're away doesn't mean that we can't have a SALE!! Don't be one of those crazy people who get up at 3:00am to go shopping. Stay in your PJ's and shop online at www.dignityregained.com and get 15% off all day on Friday!! Just enter the code, BKFRIDAY. Also, you can save the rest of the weekend too! Enter TGWEEKEND at check out and receive 10% off the rest of the weekend. Give a gift for Christmas this year that has double blessing!

See you this weekend!

~Lindsay

Meet Grace Joe

2011-11-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

Part of our mission with Dignity Regained is to help educate people about the positive effect of fair trade. I was really moved by the story of a woman I "met" as I was purchasing items for the store. I thought you would like to hear her story too.

Meet Grace Joe. Grace Joe is 44 and has been making beads for so long, she scratches her head, laughing, when she tries to remember how old she was when she became an apprentice. She thinks she started at 10, putting in the hours after mornings at school. But when she finally left school at 15, she didn't go into bead-making straight away. She had to raise money to buy the moulds, dyes, fire irons and other tools needed to make the beads. For nearly two years she was a street-seller, balancing on her head bowls of bread, peanuts, sugar and gari (similar in texture to couscous but made from ground cassava). It wasn't exactly plain sailing once she had enough money to start up her bead business. Grace's third pregnancy ended tragically and her doctor told her she couldn't do any heavy work. Despite the bead-making tradition in the Krobo region of Ghana, nobody else in her family had taken up the craft, but Grace says bead-making was her heart's desire, and she loves making things with her hands. She was determined to keep on working so she taught her brother the production process, and now he helps her with grinding up old glass bottles or window louvers, baking the beads and then shaping them, freeing up Grace to concentrate on the more delicate work of designing the complicated patterns. She has also passed on her knowledge to her daughter Gladys Adjimer, who has also joined Global Mamas, assembling beaded products.

Now Grace does most of her work for Global Mamas because she knows she will get paid on time. The money she earns helps to keep her nephew in school and covers the food bills for her son, who lives away from home and is training to be a mechanic. She is looking forward to being able to save money so she can build her own family home which will give her peace of mind, and set up a shop where she can sell her own beads directly to customers.

I truly think it's amazing that we can directly play a part in Grace Joe's life. To know who made this jewelry, to hear her story, and to know I am making a difference in her life encourages me to press forward. I hope her story was inspirational to you as well!

-Lindsay

DignityRegained.com

Fresh Faces, Fresh Passion

2011-08-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

It has been an absolute pleasure to run Dignity Regained these past 4 years. Our loyal customers are amazing and the organizations we work with are doing wonderful things in the lives of women. I'm sad to step away from Dignity Regained as life is beginning to overflow a bit too much, but it brings me great joy to introduce the new leaders of Dignity Regained, the Partlow's. Lindsay and Marshall are a husband and wife team that will be running Dignity Regained from here on out. I'm so excited for this transition. They are a wonderful couple who love the Lord and have a fresh passion to abolish human trafficking. Keep your eyes peeled for great things to come from Dignity Regained. I asked Lindsay to tell us a little bit about how they reached this point. I'll let Lindsay's words take it from here. Much love, Tammy

"I’ve known about the issue of human trafficking for some time now. I was really struck by the enormity of the issue after watching a documentary at a woman’s retreat in the Spring of 2010. I knew God wanted me involved but wasn’t sure how. I came home and told Marshall about the film and about my heart to be involved at a deeper level. We began to get more involved locally, attending human trafficking task force meetings, doing more research, and talking to people about the issue. Then, the opportunity opened up with Dignity Regained.

This is a worldwide issue, internationally, stateside, as well as locally. It is such a huge issue, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But ... we can all do something and everything helps. Dignity Regained has opened a door for us to not only be involved but also fight back. We are so excited for the opportunity to help fight against human trafficking, help provide sustainability to those coming out of trafficking, educate others and provide others a very tangible way to get involved as well."

Marshall and Lindsay Partlow live in Colorado Springs, CO and have two little girls who constantly keep them humble and on their toes. They also work at OC International, a missionary sending agency.

Biggest Sale Ever

2011-01-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

It has been a bit stagnant lately at Dignity Regained as we have welcomed another member into our family. We are loving our little family of four! Now we are gearing up for another transition.

Many of you know that we are based out of Central Illinois. We are currently planning a move to North Carolina where we will be working with Wycliffe Bible Translators at their JAARS facility. I am unsure of what direction Dignity Regained will take after we move but I do know that I we will be selling our entire inventory at deep discounts. We'll be starting with an online sale and then have an open house in the near future. It's a good opportunity to get some great Fair Trade items on sale while still helping women around the world.

Tammy

This Friday and Saturday!

2010-09-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

New Date for Open House!

2010-08-20T12:21:00.001-07:00

Due to family illness, we need to push the Open House back a week. It will now be on the 28th of August from 9am-3pm. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Beautiful India

2010-07-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

This year our theme is India on my Heart. A majority of our products here at Dignity Regained are made by women in India, and so many of the social issues we think about happen in India.

While there is so much heartbreak in India, there is also an abundance of beauty. Women wearing bold saris, beautiful children, amazing food, various colored spices being sold in open air markets, and bangles galore.

To celebrate India, our India on my Heart super soft T-Shirts are 50% off until August 31st or while supplies last.

*Click on any photo to see the source.

Call + Response Bako

2010-04-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is my sister Tina.

I stole (!) this from Facebook and even though this admittedly isn't the best picture of Tina, I think it accurately shows her life right now.

Information, flashlight, fire starter, and coffee. Yep.

She too, has a growing passion for the fight against human trafficking. She is on staff with InterVarsity in Bakersfield California. She put together an event to watch Call + Response. (A rockumentary, how cool is that?) It will be this Thursday night 6PM and it's FREE, in the Multi-Purpose Room inside the Student Union at CSU Bakersfield.

If you aren't local to Bakersfield or the surrounding area, please pray for the event. For Tina and she organizes. As well as for the students to have open hearts and open minds and for a fire to be started in them.

Hagar International: Restoration

2010-03-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Our guest post today comes from Jane Tafel, the Executive Director at Hagar USA.

As Hagar works to truly restore life in all its fullness to women from devastating backgrounds, we don’t consider our work complete until each is living on her own and supporting herself and her children independently. That also means that all dependent children are enrolled in school, in order to have hope and vision for independent futures of their own. Only then can we expect to break the cycle of abuse and poverty, suffered by each woman we serve.

Women coming out of Hagar Cambodia programs are survivors, but their first steps into mainstream society are not easy ones. In most cases, women have no experience in formal work environments. They also lack characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. That’s why partner employers like STOPStart, in Cambodia, are so key to long-term economic empowerment. As a social enterprise, they strive to employ the otherwise unemployable, providing a nurturing work environment. When you buy recycled rice bag products and silk bags made by STOPStart through Dignity Regained, you help support the effort. You keep women from Hagar Cambodia employed. And, they, in turn, keep their children in school and everyone can expect a better future. A future without violence, impoverishment and the egregious human rights abuse of human trafficking.

Read Boupha and Chanyra's stories by clicking on their pictures above.

You can find products from Hagar in our shop! We carry bags like this recycled rice bag tote and messenger in many different colors. Sturdy and perfect for school or travel.

Thanks Jane for sharing a bit about Hagar!

Oasis India: India on my Heart

2010-03-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

Making a difference

The story is told of a man who saw thousands of starfish littered on the beach. A little boy was picking up the starfish one by one and throwing them into the ocean. He asked the boy, "What are you doing?" The boy replied, "I'm throwing starfish back into the water. If I leave them here, they'll dry up and die" The man said, "But look how many there are. What you're doing can't possibly make a difference." As the boy picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean, he said, "Well, it makes a difference to this one!"

Although statistics related to human trafficking are overwhelming, at Oasis, we strive to make a difference to individual lives we come in contact with, believing that every life is precious and priceless and that no one should be bought and sold.

Raina was twice divorced before she was 20 years old and was desperate to leave her hometown. Her neighbour, taking advantage of the situation, promised Raina a job in Mumbai but instead, sold her to the owner of a dance bar in one of Mumbai's large red light areas. She was forced to work there and serve customers. She soon became pregnant and was forced to have an abortion. Years later, Raina met an Oasis social worker and visited the Aruna drop-in centre where she was counseled and offered options of rehabilitation. She went to live at Oasis India’s home for rescued women and is now enrolled in a literacy programme and learning to put her past behind her.

Many women like Raina are helped through various initiatives offered by Oasis India. Believing that education and the right training opportunities are the keys to a brighter future, we strive to change abuse and despair and replace them with opportunity, hope and dignity, allowing people to reach their God-given potential.

For more information on the work of Oasis India, log on to http://www.oasisindia.org/ or sign up to receive news and updates at www.oasisindia.org/signup

Photo from OasisIndia.org

Thank you Divya from Oasis India for sharing your heart for women in India with us!

Visit Dignity Regained's India on my Heart page for more info.

Where'd You Get That?

2010-02-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to bring you a guest post today from Jackie Lantry who runs Bliss Farm Antiques in Rehoboth, Massachusetts where nothing is factory made.

Whenever you plunk down your hard-earned cash you are making a statement. You are supporting something. You could be supporting a factory in a third world country or, you could be supporting a local business.

Why is this important? I’ll explain…

Do you remember when silk used to be expensive? It’s not expensive any more; in fact you can buy silk clothes at Wal-Mart. Do you know why silk has gone from expensive to inexpensive? Because it is no longer made in America-where factories have to pay decent wages, provide benefits and insure the safety of workers. Silk is now produced oversees, where manufacturers don’t have to worry about (or pay for) workers safety, benefits, or fair wages.

While in China I visited a silk factory. I watched as young women plunged their bare hands into a trench filled with boiling water. Grabbing the silkworm cocoons from the water, they untangled the strands and hung them to dry. Some of the ladies were too short to reach the sink so they balanced precariously on wet, slippery rocks to do their job. The stench of dead silk worms was nauseating. The young workers hands were red, swollen and cracked. They work longer hours and more consecutive days, while having fewer breaks and making far less money than American workers. Factory owners enjoy huge profits.

I also toured a cloisonné factory. Cloisonné used to be an artform. Craftspeople fashioning tiny bits of metal onto an ornament or vase or some other decorative object, in the shape of a design, maybe a flower or a insect. Enamel was then poured into the wire outline. After the object was fired, the enamel-now hardened-decorated the ornament.

In the factory I toured, 5 workers huddled around a table, one bare light bulb dangled above from on a wire on the ceiling. There was no ventilation. The workers had no face masks, no gloves, no protective gear of any kind. They spent their day soldering designs onto the ornaments and breathing in the toxic fumes.

At the time, we were in China adopting a daughter (we eventually adopted 4 kids from China.) When we opened our shop we thought about how easy it would be to sell things made in the Pacific rim-inventory is so cheap when it is made in a country that does not give workers fair wages, health insurance, safe working conditions and the like. But we were haunted by the thoughts of the people we saw, people who suffered so we could buy things inexpensively.
Our experience fueled our shop philosophy. When you buy at Bliss Farm Antiques you are supporting a local business…and fair-trade, sustainability, and gainful employment for artists and local workers.

We wish all things came with a tag that showed a picture of the person who made the product.

You can also find Bliss Farm Antiques here:

Etsy: etsy.com/shop/jacklynn4
Blog: blissfarmantiques.blogspot.com

Thanks Jackie!

2010-02-05T18:34:00.000-08:00

See you at the sale tomorrow! 9a-noon at Eli's in Morton.

Jhoole: India on my Heart

2010-01-31T17:00:00.000-08:00

Jhoole's ("Ju-Lay")founder Hannah Warren:

"The first time I went to India, it was to live in Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities in the world, situated on the banks of the Ganges River. Seduced by descriptions of the ancient city, I was in love with it before I even arrived. Varanasi is a place where faithful pilgrims go to die because of their belief that the sacred grounds, home to the Hindu god Siva, will relieve them of all their sins and grant them spontaneous enlightenment.

The city I envisioned ended up being drastically different from the reality I encountered upon arrival. I was viscerally overwhelmed by the garbage and cow dung lining the streets, the flies, as numerous as snowflakes, flitting through the air, the dilapidated buildings and blatant poverty. I also got sicker than I have ever been in my life and had this terrible feeling that I was going to die there, and that, ironically, it was not going lead to some romantic enlightenment, but only to a slow and painful death in a foreign country where I was utterly alone.

Varanasi did kill me. But, it also lead to my rebirth. In the end, India exceeded all of my expectations. There is a Hindi saying that lotuses only blossom in the mud. I fell utterly in love with India for what it is: a place of mutually enhancing extremes. I have learned to embrace India for its immense cultural wealth while also refusing to idealize it. With the growing disparity between the rich and the poor, the socio-economic issues perpetuated by caste and gender discrimination need to be faced head on.

While pursuing a photography project I accidentally stumbled upon a practical way that I could contribute to poverty alleviation. I was creating portraits of female weaver's lives and livelihoods by photographing them wearing saris that they had woven themselves. However,when I actually began to implement the project that I had thought out, I realized that it was virtually impossible, because none of the weavers could even afford to own the exquisite saris that they weave; instead,middlemen provide them with expensive raw materials that they transform into breathtaking saris in return for minimal wages. Instead of abandoning the project I gave the weavers funds to purchase their own materials in order to weave saris for themselves. This was the first time they were given the opportunity to take creative control of their products by personally choosing colors and designs. When they put on the very first saris they had ever designed for themselves, I was blown away: they looked so beautiful and proud.

After I was finished with the photography project I was haunted by my own images... they would not allow me to forget the talented women that I had met. I decided to try and help them further by creating Jhoole, a nonprofit that would facilitate them in gaining direct market access.Through Jhoole, these artisans have been empowered economically as well creatively. Traditionally, women in the Khargone region have very little access to technical knowledge about hand loom weaving. The technique for setting designs on looms is coveted by a male lineage of "master weavers"who charge large fees for their services. We have organized trainings with textile designers who teach the women all the technical aspects of their looms offering them creative as well as economic liberation from "master weavers". Through the social and economic opportunities generated by Jhoole, these women have been able to improve their lives, ultimately changing the future of their children and communities. Read more about our cooperative and how we are also helping individuals stuck at the bottom of the supply chain and living in conditions akin to modern to day slavery atwww.jhoole.org. "

(Above) Jhoole founder, Hannah Warren, with weavers:

Maya Verma, Deepa Kewat, Resham Kewat and Asha Kewat.

See products made by women at Jhoole offered by Dignity Regained.

Anticipation of Spring

2010-01-25T22:51:00.000-08:00

It is blustering snow outside and I've got green grass and sunshine on my mind.

So I've been up late on the hunt for some great spring items from India for the shop. I found some real gems and I'm so excited to give our customers more opportunities to support women in India as well. This was one of my favorite finds of the night.

A floral ruffle skirt made out of authentic cheet fabric

worn by tribal women in rural Rajasthan.

I'll be posting these and more clothing to the store, but you can also come try them on at our sale on Feb 6th at Eli's!

I'm off to bed to do some more dreaming of spring!

Celebration Sale

2010-01-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

At Eli's Coffee Shop

205 Jeffersom St. Morton IL

Next Shop Update: January 7th

2010-01-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

Coming up on January 7th:

Beautiful scarves lovingly made from recycled silk sari's by women in India
Amazing market baskets
...and more

Check back with us January 7th. See you then!

- Tammy

Come Discuss With Us!

2010-01-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

If you have read the post below, and thought and prayed about your involvement with Dignity Regained, please join us in discussing the creation of a Not For Profit Organization. If you would just like to share ideas, encourage others and pray with us...please do join us.

You'll need to request permission to join the group. But we would love to have you!

Dignity Regained
Visit this group

Join the Discussion

2009-12-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

We. love. our. customers.

Yep, we do. They are a passionate bunch, and they are willing to put their money where their mouth is. We've been asked multiple times, "what else can I do?" "where do I donate money/time?" I've always sent them elsewhere, to one of the organizations that we support with our funds as well. But now we are ready. We are ready to grow and to let others in on the grassroots excitement. Well..we are ready to talk about it.

We have plans for 2010 to be a non-profit (Dignity Regained) with a for-profit arm (Dignity Regained - The Shop). At least we think this will be how it is set up. So we need your input. We need your skills, passions, dreams, and thoughts on matters of Fair Trade, trafficking, and responsible consumerism. We need people who want a place to get involved, start something big, and work with others.

We'll let you know where and when the (ongoing) discussion will happen (online). But first we want you to pray about it. Seriously and really. If you are totally excited to get involved and ready to stick around for a while, take a breath and pray. If you are still stoked about our mission and want to help out, check back in a couple days and we'll let you know where to go.

If you have any questions, email me: tammy@dignityregained.org

We are so excited to work with you all!

P.S. Our "India on my Heart" T's are now available for purchase.

2010

2009-12-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

2009 was a difficult, yet wonderful year for Dignity Regained. Our newest "member" of the team joined us, Henry was born on June 23rd. He has added challenges as well as motivation towards our purpose. We added Indie Edition to our store, which is very exciting. And we had a very successful and productive Christmas season.

We are really looking forward to 2010. There is a lot stirring in the brain and the heart. We will be updating the store with some baskets, clothing, some fantastic new Indie Edition products, and some other projects that we are very excited to work on but are keeping them on the down low for now.

If you are an Independent Artist interested in having your products in our shop, please contact us. Some of the items we are looking for are letterpress prints and cards, faux bois, spring clutches and fascinators.

December

2009-12-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy busy Christmas Season here at Dignity Regained! It has been wonderful and our customers (you!) have been so supportive.

In the beginning of December I had the opportunity to bring some of our products to a meeting held by InterVarsity Staffers in California. I set up a table in the corner of the room at dinner time and they totally stepped up to the plate. They were so generous, lovers of Fair Trade and justice, and it showed. It was such a blessing for me to see that and feel their support.

Then I returned from California back to Illinois and hit the ground running. We teamed up with a Mary Kay consultant and had another House Party here in Morton. Another success. It worked out well because the very next morning we had a holiday sale at Eli's Coffee Shop. We had customers in droves for the first couple of hours. My heart always bursts when I see people excited to learn about what Fair Trade can do for women around the world, and how much they love their beautiful handiwork.

Here are some pictures from the holiday sale.

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us at these three events, to Rob for inviting me to the IV meeting, to Jamie for hostessing our House Party, to Katie at Eli's for always opening her door to us, and to our online customers. You guys rock! I had so much fun this year packaging up online orders and sending them out.

So this week we are taking a breath, hanging out with out little man, and picking up my sister and her hubs at the airport for a fun and relaxing Christmas week with them.

Merry Christmas everyone!
Tammy

Happenings

2009-11-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to guest blog about our first Fair Trade House Party HERE.

We had a couple new additions to Indie Edition! I'm loving this new section of our store.

One is a beautiful bracelet from Rachel at Elephantine. *Check out her super cute blog.*

Four great new items from Christine at Eye Pop Art! *Who also has a super fun blog!*

Join me in supporting these great women artists. There is also more Indie Edition in the works!

The H-man and I are headed out Wednesday morning to California for a month to see the fam. Brian will be joining us for two weeks in the middle. We are packing up the store and bringing it along, so remember to check back for a Black Friday sale the day after Thanksgiving. I'll be posting more about that soon.

We've got a giveaway coming up as well, keep your eyes peeled!

Tammy

First House Party

2009-10-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Huge thanks to Cali who hostess-ed our first ever Fair Trade House Party. We had a nice intimate sized group of ladies who came and listened to me talk myself in circles about how much I love Fair Trade. While there was a little shopping involved since I brought a lot of our inventory, the main focus was on just giving the basics of what Fair Trade is, what trafficking is, how the two relate, and how Dignity Regained was started. I'm working on getting our story written down so that we can have a section on our website so our webbie customers (that's you!) can read all about it. It's a pretty cool story so I'm excited to share!

But right now I'm going to sit and work on some orders since the sickie hubbie is in bed, and the baby boy is asleep as well.

Tammy

Starting Fresh

2009-10-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

It almost the busy holiday shopping season again, and we are so excited to be up and running again. We are starting fresh with a new website, and a new blog.

Another new and exciting part of our store is called ::Indie Edition:: You can read more about the purpose of this section on our website, but I wanted to tell you that this is something that has been brewing in my mind for a long time now. It is starting small, but we've got a lot in store for the next year.

Speaking of this next year. Our theme of 2010 will be "India On My Heart". We will be introducing some great T-Shirts in a couple of weeks, and will be having some local events related to this theme.

Thanks for supporting Fair Trade (and now Indie)!

Tammy