{How Can I Help: Shopping}

It's been a "heavy" few days on the blog here.  Thanks for listening to what's on our hearts, and reading the statistics that have moved us to action.  The good news is, that WAR, Int'l does  A LOT to help these women and children, to rescue them and give them a future of dignity.  


Women At Risk, International partners with safe houses all over the world, so that after women and children are rescued, they have safe places to live and be protected. But it doesn’t stop there! A huge part of WAR is the skill training that they provide these women to give them a way to support themselves. This decreases the chances of them going back into prostitution or being targeted by traffickers. Here are some FAQs from WAR’s site concerning this...
Why is WAR, Int’l so passionate about job training? What kinds of jobs does WAR, Int’l train women in? How do you decide what job training works? 
WAR, Int’l is passionate about job training because it is not enough to just remove the woman from one situation. If the root causes are not fixed, she will fall back into the system, further promoting the belief that she is worthless and lacks dignity. WAR, Int’l trains women in various jobs, depending on the local culture and need. This can be baking, jewelry making, sewing, cake decorating, dress rental, goat husbandry, etc. The goal is to be culturally appropriate, culturally viable, and self-sustainable.


So maybe now that you've see the need, and see what WAR Int'l does to help, you're wondering, "how can I help these women and children?"


Well, this is my favorite part.....SHOPPING!!!!!  Most of you know that Etsy is a huge handmade market online, you most likely found US on there.  So you know of the value and uniqueness of handmade items and gifts.  Many of the rescued women are trained to make handmade items to create jobs for themselves.  And you have the opportunity to buy these beautiful handmade items, while supporting these women, which is really changing their lives in a huge way!  


I had the opportunity to buy some absolutely gorgeous jewelry in the fall at our church's women's retreat. So I thought I'd share a few photos of it here with you.

Handmade Turquoise Necklace and Earrings

Handmade bracelet 

I LOVE my WAR jewelry.  And the jewelry usually comes with a tag with the woman's name who made it, so you can pray for her!  I love how it makes you feel so connected to them.  And I love that I'm supporting another woman in her new life.


Buying jewelry is a HUGE way of helping WAR in supporting the safe houses.  You can buy directly from two boutiques in the Grand Rapids Area


You can host your own jewelry party!  How fun!


Or you can purchase online at The War Chest.  They carry much more than just jewelry.  There are beautiful handmade scarves, ornaments, purses, cards and even children's items.  And if you know of a soon-to-be bride or are celebrating a '30+ years of marriage' bride, the Bridal Elegance set, is an extra special way to add the finishing touch to their special day.  Pearls of Hope is a preventative program, geared to rescue women before they become victims.


You can always donate directly to WAR Int'l here.


And  of course, this week, we are donating 20% of each each brother sister purchased in our shop, to WAR, Int'l.   And don't forget, this is the last week to place Easter orders as well!  So it's the perfect time to buy and help women in need at the same time.