Welcome to the Kleinert Foundation Weekly Reader! Each Monday, we deliver a variety of resources to help keep our community informed and engaged.
Articles, Blogs, & Reports
This D-FW essential oils company gives ‘dignified employment’ to women rescued from sex trafficking By: Dallas Morning News, Mary Grace Granados
“Dr. Melissa I.M. Torres, a researcher who studies anti-human trafficking efforts, said finding a job that pays sufficiently is a major component of acclimating to life for survivors of trafficking.
“Are they getting paid what they actually need to survive?” Torres asked. “Because a lot of times that was the root cause of their trafficking experience; that was vulnerability that a trafficker took advantage of.”
Others question whether or not a business model founded on meeting the needs of vulnerable people takes advantage of survivors by using their stories to market the business.
“I think a lot of organizations accidentally re-exploit the people that they are helping,” the D-FW survivor and Savhera employee said, noting that she has not experienced that during her time at Savhera and that she and the other survivors are not the company’s “main marketing tool.”
Bouché said the company decided to frame the brand and its website around the essential oils, not around the company’s dedication to hiring survivors, so as not to use the stories or history of their employees as the primary marketing message.” Read more here.
Becoming a B Corp During COVID-19: How S’well Maintains Its Focus on Positive Impact By: B Corp
“While gaining B Corp certification was a multiyear process for S’well, the fact that it happened as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everyday life around the world only reinforced the company’s commitment to sustainable living, says Kendra Peavy, vice president of global communications, sustainability and impact for S’well.
Even before the pandemic and racial justice movement put a spotlight on systemic cracks and inequalities that leave many communities behind, more businesses like S’well were turning to the B Corp community for guidance, collaboration, and inspiration. B Lab, the nonprofit that oversees B Corp certification, saw a 60% increase in certifications from 2018 to 2019, and registrations to take the B Impact Assessment used for certification have climbed 23% from 2019 to 2020.” Read more here.
Identity, Independence — and Handbags By: Cause Consumer, Robert Jones
“Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Lisa had the business outlook and Cameron brought design skills, so together the women began to brainstorm a business model that could offer flexible, steady employment to workers who were constantly on the move.
“The trick was finding something to manufacture,” Lisa says. “Something for the modern military woman who didn’t want to choose between career and family.”
When they finally settled on handbags, the choice was mostly about mission. To create the most jobs with the best pay, they wanted a product with “lots of parts and pieces” that could be made anywhere and shipped off for final assembly. With components like hand-cut leather and hand-stitched liners, bags seemed like the perfect vehicle.
“We knew it would be a virtual assembly line from Day One,” Lisa says. “Even when it was just the two of us sewing in the attic, we knew we wanted to create remote work for military spouses nationally.”
It was that unique, mission-driven model that landed the pair on Shark Tank, where they walked away with a $100,000 investment from Mark Cuban.” Read more here.
Family says Texas teen facing capital murder charge was being sold for sex by gunman By: Star Telegram, Nichole Manna
“A 17-year-old girl charged with capital murder in a 2019 robbery was being sold for sex by the man who pulled the trigger, her family says.
Zephaniah “Zephi” Trevino, a junior from Grand Prairie High School, was a pitcher for the Lady Gophers softball team. She had just made the drill team and was looking forward to trying a new sport.
Now she’s facing 40 years in prison in a fatal robbery at Grand Prairie apartment complex. Her parents, Crystal and Henry Trevino, said their daughter was at the scene only because the gunman — 19-year-old Philip Baldenegro — was selling her for sex to the man who ended up dead.
Zephi has been held without bond at the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center in Dallas since August 2019. She is also charged with aggravated battery.” Read more here.
Podcasts
Innovate Fort Worth Podcast- Episode 14: Melissa Ice
“"People need people more than stuff," says Melissa Ice, founder of two local non-profits, The Net and The Worthy Co. She lives by these words as she serves the homeless and women and children who have been exploited. She empowers people by employing those who cannot find work to provide a stable income for themselves and their families. Relationships are the key to her work that makes a difference in our community.” Listen here.
The Good Office Podcast- Episode 12: What Corporate Gifting Looks Like in 2020
“Corporate gifting in 2020 presents new limitations, and equally, new opportunities to really make a positive impact with vendors, clients and employees. In this episode, Jillian Ryan provides an insightful Corporate Gifting roadmap which includes timelines, etiquette tips during a pandemic, and explains why Thanksgiving is bypassing Christmas as the perfect time for gifting.
This episode covers questions that most businesses are asking themselves:
- How to show gratitude to employees, clients or vendors
- When should corporate gifts be sent
- What are the best corporate gift ideas this year
- Where is it appropriate to send gifts, as people are still working from homeIn addition, Jillian shares her top 3 tips to creating a Corporate Gifting strategy that doesn't just work for your company, but how to use it to create impact in businesses that need your money the most like local, women-owned, minority and Black owned-businesses.” Listen here.
Upcoming Events
Genesis Women Shelter 27th Annual Luncheon
September 2, 2020 | 11:30 am CST
“To ensure the safety of our staff, supporters and the community as a whole, we are excited to announce that we are moving the Genesis Annual Luncheon to a VIRTUAL event! If you haven't yet bought a ticket, you can still tune in to hear actress Nicole Kidman, who received an Emmy Award, Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award and SAG Award for her portrayal of Celeste Wright in Big Little Lies. Kidman played a former attorney turned stay-at-home mom with a seemingly perfect life, but whose husband was abusive behind closed doors - effectively opening audiences' eyes to the fact that domestic violence can happen to anyone. Don’t miss your chance to tune into this event… purchase your ticket now!” Learn more here.
Austin Street Center’s 20th Annual Humble Beginnings Luncheon
September 25, 2020 | 11:30 am
“Tony and Grammy Award-winning performer, Leslie Odom Jr. will take the stage as the keynote speaker at Austin Street Center’s annual Humble Beginnings luncheon.
Best known for his breakout role as ‘Aaron Burr’ in the smash hit Broadway musical, Hamilton, Odom Jr. received a 2015 Drama Desk Award nomination and won the Tony Award for “Best Actor in a Musical” for his performance. He also won a Grammy Award as a principal soloist on the original cast recording. Odom Jr. was most recently seen on the big screen starring alongside Cynthia Erivo and Joe Alwyn in “Harriet”, the story of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes responsible for freeing hundreds of slaves. This spring, he released a book – FAILING UP: HOW TO TAKE RISKS, AIM HIGHER, and NEVER STOP LEARNING. In 2018, Odom Jr. released “Mr” – his first album of original songs.” Learn more here.
Wed, Oct 28, 2020, 11:00 AM -Sat, Oct 31, 2020, 12:00 PM
“Building systems that are equitable for women and people of color expands prosperity for everyone. The opportunities for human-centered design, innovation and impact that will take us there are unprecedented. But even as there are growing reasons to hope, we must commit to reform through principles, policies, and practices that level the playing field and create opportunity. bigBANG! 2020 will lift up rightful disruption and its methods to dismantle injustice and intentionally rework and rebuild systems that provide equal opportunity for all people to participate with dignity in the economic life of our society.” Learn more here.
From Dallas Doing good
Chris McSwain: More Than a Day of Giving By: Mary Martin
“For a little over two years, Chris McSwain has poured her passion for community, diversity, and intelligent engagement into her role at Communities Foundation of Texas. After playing a key role in three North Texas Giving events, Chris has walked alongside nonprofits and donors as they have raised over $100 million. That kind of impact is not only life-changing for the people served by nonprofits, but for our city as a whole.
Dallas is known as a philanthropic city, but in 2020, philanthropy and giving has looked a lot more like collaborations between foundations or local businesses joining forces with nonprofit organizations for industry-wide support. And even in the midst of economic slow-down, North Texans have continued to be generous to local causes, shown specifically during the North Texas Giving Tuesday Now fundraising campaign in May, which raised $20.7 million.” Read more here.
From The Liberty Line Newsletter
Anti-human trafficking organizations are struggling under COVID-19 By: PBS News Hour, Corinne Redfern, The Fuller Project
“As predicted earlier this year by researchers and anti-trafficking advocacy groups, non-governmental organizations from 102 countries including the United States are now struggling to provide trafficking survivors with basic services and support during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE ODIHR) and United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (U.N. Women).
For some stakeholders, such as Gupta in Delhi, this means reworking organizational structures and priorities to safeguard women and girls’ immediate health. For others, it’s a battle to keep functioning at all. ” Read more here.
August Book of the Month
Anointed By: Aelicia Watson
“Aelicia Watson serves as an Urban Missionary to the women of the Bonton Neighborhood and women all over the greater Dallas metroplex. Aelicia has always had a servant’s heart and a strong desire to serve the Lost, the Least, and the Lonely. She began volunteering every month with several different organizations and ministries that serve the South Dallas – Bonton Community. In 2016 she answered God’s call into full time ministry. During that year, she felt that God was calling her to begin a new ministry, focused on women and their unique needs and problems. In 2017 in response to that call, she established “Redeemed Women”. This ministry will address the pain, suffering, brokenness and obstacles women who are victims of generational poverty face such as: homelessness, hunger, sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, educational deficiencies, transportation, physical and medical needs, unemployment, lack of a viable support system, and exploitation.” Learn more here. To purchase a book, please email chocolate@redeemedwomen.org.
August Product of the Month
Three Designing Women Custom Engraved Tumbler
Three Designing Women is a small but mighty female and minority operated wholesale manufacturer based in Dallas, Texas, that started with a simple yet ambitious objective: To produce the finest personalized goods in the world. Now entering its second decade, Three Designing Women has risen to become The Most Awarded Personalization Company in History! Each month TDW supports one or more non-profit organizations as recipients of their time and resources, and their retailers are integral to this outreach. To learn more please visit www.threedesigningwomen.com. To purchase, please visit Artisan Stamp.
By: Hannah Rabalais, Program Officer