Votives With A Motive: glassybaby Surpasses $4 Million Giving Milestone

SEATTLE, Jan. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- glassybaby, maker of one-of-a-kind, hand-blown glass votives and drinking glasses, announced today that it has given back more than $4 million to organizations that support hope and healing for people, animals and the planet.  Since its inception, glassybaby has donated 10% of revenue to more than 350 charitable organizations to help them achieve their missions.

To celebrate the milestone, on Wednesday January 13, glassybaby retail stores and hot shops will be closed, giving its employees time to give back to their local communities.  In Seattle, employees will be serving food at the Issaquah Food Bank, repainting the sensory wall at Camp Korey, cleaning and gardening at Collegiana, making lunches at the Veteran Administration's Fischer House, and driving cancer patients to chemo treatments for the American Cancer Society.  In the Bay Area, they will be serving meals at GLIDE and the Marin Food Bank, and doing craft projects at Lucille Packard Stanford Children's Hospital.

"Our goal at glassybaby is to bring financial and emotional assistance to those in need and to bring a little light, color and kindness to the world in the process," said glassybaby CEO Bill Cummings. "We believe - and the numbers prove - that you can run a successful business, give back in an impactful way and build a strong community," Cummings added.

glassybaby Founder, Lee Rhodes said, "I'm continually inspired by the generosity of the glassybaby community and the amazing work of our partners, all of whom support hope and healing. It's very rewarding to see the impact our giving can have and I look forward to moving full steam ahead this year, with the goal of giving back $22 million by 2020."

While glassybaby gives back to more than 350 charitable organizations large and small, examples of specific programs include:

• The American Cancer Society Road to Recovery Program: For those undergoing treatment, simple problems like getting a ride to and from the hospital can be difficult and stressful. Through the partnership with the American Cancer Society, 10% of year round sales of the votive 'celebrate' and 10% of all of January 2016 online sales, glassybaby funds efforts to raise awareness of Road to Recovery--a program where volunteers give cancer patients transportation to their treatments.   
• Lucille Packard Stanford Children's Hospital Play Cart: Hospitals can be scary places for anyone, but especially for kids. Working with Lucille Packard Stanford Children's Hospital, glassybaby donates 10% of all sales of the votive 'grateful red' to fund the Play Cart that brings toys, art, books, games and the healing power of play to little patients.
• GLIDE: Affiliated with the Glide Memorial Church, this San Francisco-based organization seeks to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization.  10% of sales from glassybaby's San Francisco Ferry Terminal store and sales of the votive 'cozy' support Glide's Walk in Center which distributes basic goods such as hygiene kits, clothing vouchers, blankets and backpacks to more than 3,000 individuals. The funds also support the GLIDE Women's Center--a safe haven for women escaping domestic violence or violence on the streets.
• Conservation International's Reteti Elephant Sanctuary:  glassybaby expanded their partnership with Conservation International to support the orphans of the ivory trade. Ten percent of year-round sales of the votive 'home' and 10% of all of December 2015 online sales, went directly to the Reteti Elephant Preserve. This new project, near the Namunyak Nature Preserve in Northern Kenya, provides shelter and support for orphaned young elephants, engaging the local community in the process.

About glassybaby

glassybaby are one-of-a-kind hand blown glass votives and drinkers made by glassblowers in Berkeley CA and Seattle WA. glassybaby come in 400+ colors, each with a unique name like 'joy', 'hope', 'gratitude', 'roots', 'home', 'bff' and 'frog hunting'.

Seattle-based glassybaby was founded in 2001 by four-time cancer survivor Lee Rhodes. During her chemo treatments, Lee met patients who could not afford basic needs such as bus fare, childcare or groceries. When she founded glassybaby, it was with the core mission of helping to alleviate these struggles. The giving mission has since expanded to support hope and healing for people, animals and the planet. To date, glassybaby has donated more than $4 million to more than 350 non profits organizations around the globe.

For more information visit:
http://www.glassybaby.com 
http://glassybaby.com/community/blog/glassybaby-give-back-day/glassybaby-give-back-day
https://www.facebook.com/glassybaby/

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160111/321064

SOURCE glassybaby

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