Welcome back faithful readers! As I'm sure you noticed, last weekend we decided to hold off on our usual
Friday post so that we could observe the holiday. After a nice relaxing week, we
are back in full swing. I’m excited to tell you that this week we have a very
special post about one of our generous partners and friends, Leslie Voegtlin from LittleGemsUSA (
www.littlegemsusa.com). I was
privileged to virtually meet Leslie over the weekend, and she agreed to answer
some questions for this week’s blog, which talks about her wonderful
organization, LittleGemsUSA.
To give you a quick background about LittleGemsUSA: it is an
organization that has been a partner and generous supporter of The Fashion
Foundation for the past year. LittleGemsUSA shares a very similar philosophy as
The Foundation, where the goal is to merge fashion and philanthropy to help
those who are in need. Through their online store, LittleGemsUSA sells
desirable jewelry items to eager buyers, and then donates 50—that’s right—50% of the proceeds to charities that specialize in helping
women and children in need. Their impact has been felt all around the world, as
they have contributed to numerous organizations including ones in Chicago and India that help to rescue young women from human trafficking. They have also provided a helping hand to a charity
in Rwanda called “Love Alive International,” an organization that rescues children who live on the
streets and are at great risk for being pulled into slavery.
It is no doubt that Leslie and her organization are prime
examples of how the kindness and generosity of the human spirit can have such a
positive effect on the people who need that kindness the most. That’s why we here at The
Fashion Foundation are proud to present you with an exclusive interview, where I got
a chance to talk to Leslie about LittleGemsUSA, their involvement with The Fashion
Foundation, and the future of these two promising organizations. Enjoy!
Q: Tell our readers a little about yourself and how you got
started with LittleGemsUSA.
Leslie: I grew up in a Christian home with parents who are
very giving people. It was not uncommon
for someone to move in with us when they were having a hard time. In fact, that happened so many times, I’m not
sure I could remember all of them. As I
grew up and became more observant, I found my grandparents did the same thing. So maybe it’s not difficult to understand
that as an adult, I started noticing the very serious needs of others around me
and around the world. I had been working
as a technology professional for quite some time, but in my heart I wanted to
do even more to make a difference for those that have serious needs. I like jewelry and I knew a bit about it, so
I started LittleGemsUSA.com to help women and children in need. I give 50% of profits to charity. One of the charities I donated to last year
was The Fashion Foundation.
Q: How and when did LittleGemsUSA get created? What was the inspiration
behind its creation?
Leslie: I created LittleGemsUSA.com about a year and a half
ago. Prior to this, in my mind, I had
been trying to figure out how to get large organizations to donate significant
amounts of profits to charity. I came to
the conclusion that instead of asking someone else to do it, I needed to look
in the mirror. No one is going to be
inspired by your dream more than you are.
There is a song by artist Matthew West called “Do Something.” A few
phrases from that song that speak to me on how I feel about this endeavor:
If not us then who,
If not me and you.
If not now then when?
It’s not enough to do nothing.
It’s time for us to Do Something.
Q: Where are you situated?
Leslie: I personally live and work in Chicago, but LittleGemsUSA
is an online only business. I do set up
pop-up stores from time to time at businesses that have invited me to sell at
their offices or at summer street fairs that are popular here in Chicago.
Q: If you can, please give our readers a brief summary about
what LittleGemsUSA does and how you operate.
Leslie: I try to find fashionable jewelry at the best prices
so that we can provide affordable stylish pieces to our customers. I want our customers to look stylish and make
a positive impact in the lives of women and children in need. Currently we sell fashion jewelry as well as
gemstones set in sterling silver. The process, put very simply: we sell our jewelry, subtract our expenses, and split the rest with charity.
Q: When and how did your relationship with The Fashion
Foundation begin?
Leslie: Believe it or not my relationship with The Fashion
Foundation began on Instagram! I’m not
positive, but I believe we were using the same hashtag and would stumble on
each other’s posts. We started following
each other’s accounts and one day the founder, Amanda reached out to me. I’m a fan of what she’s doing and I’m
fascinated watching her and The Foundation grow.
Q: Besides The Fashion Foundation, are there any groups or
charities you work with specifically?
Leslie: I do volunteer work with kids here in Chicago, so
the needs of children is something that is close to my heart. I’ve given to several organizations that
rescue women and girls from trafficking here in Chicago and India. Also children that live on the streets are at
great risk for being pulled into slavery, so I also have been working with a
charity called Love Alive International in Rwanda. Through them we are able to
sponsor children who are so impoverished that they cannot buy the required
school uniform and school supplies that are needed to go to free public
schools.
Q: The Fashion Foundation encourages outsiders
(non-employees) to donate and become involved with the organization through
events and internship opportunities. Is outside involvement from people looking
to help an important aspect for LittleGemsUSA as well?
Leslie: So far I have had volunteers for the pop-up events,
but something as simple as “likes” and “shares” and reposts on our social media
accounts to help us gain more exposure is the greatest need we have right
now. That’s the easiest type of
volunteering that we really need the most.
Q: Similar to The Fashion Foundation, you strive to merge
the worlds of fashion and philanthropy, donating 50% of your sale profits to
charities that help women and children at risk. What has this success in
helping people and charities meant to you as a person?
Leslie: Through charities, we have helped victims of
trafficking here in Chicago, helped keep girls off the streets in India, bought
two sewing machines for two women in Rwanda to give them a career, supported a
sports program in Chicago that keeps kids safe from gangs, raised funds for
school supplies for underprivileged children, purchased Christmas gifts for
children whose parents are incarcerated, and also sponsored six children’s
educations in Rwanda. It’s hard to put into words what that means to me, but
knowing that if I didn’t start this business, some of those people would be in
sad and dangerous situations; that motivates me.
Q: Any special moments that you have had with either the
people you have helped or the charities that you have donated to?
Leslie: When I was able to donate the sewing machines to
women who had no means of providing for their children, it was powerfully
moving. When you personally move the
needle in someone’s life, you want to do it again. It happened again after sponsoring the 6
children’s educations in Rwanda. It’s
extremely gratifying knowing that 6 children would not be in school right now
if I (and my sisters) had not struggled through the tough days.
Maybe I haven’t changed the world (yet), but to have made a
difference in changing a life for even 1 person makes it easier to start again
tomorrow.
Q: In the past you have partnered with The Fashion
Foundation to host events to help bring in monetary and clothing donations for
The Foundation. How has these events brought positive attention to both
LittleGemsUSA and The FF?
Leslie: Partnerships and collaboration brought us a step closer
to our goals and provide mutual exposure to each of our customer bases. Also, I think that more than attention, I’ve
actually learned from Amanda and The Fashion Foundation by watching it grow and
watching her speeches. I see things
she’s doing that I’m not, and I try to incorporate those things. I’m inspired by her fundraisers and
collaboration with Bloomingdale's (wow!).
Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?
Leslie: Trying on the jewelry. The sparkle never gets old. :)
Q: How can our readers help and get involved with
LittleGemsUSA?
Leslie: Follow us on our social media accounts. @LittleGemsUSA can be found on Instagram,
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.
Q: Any advice that you have for The Fashion Foundation?
Leslie: Keep on doing what you’re doing. I recently bought a shirt that says “Have the
courage to take the first step and the strength to carry on.” The first step is always scary. Both The Fashion Foundation and
LittleGemsUSA.com have made it passed taking the first step. Now we need the strength to carry on for
those who have great need.
 |
| Leslie Voegtlin of LittleGemsUSA |
Leslie has also stated that this week she will provide a code for
anyone who wants to purchase from her site; the proceeds from
those purchases will go to The Fashion Foundation! Use the code FF10 at
checkout and you will receive a 10% discount as well! The promotion will
last for up to a week from the date this blog is posted so be sure to take
advantage!
Once again, all of us at The Fashion Foundation would like
to thank Leslie and LittleGemsUSA for this interview and for the generous
support. We look forward to continuing with our mission to help the women,
children, and students who need it the most.
Joseph A. Jungermann is a freelance copy editor and blogger for The
Fashion Foundation. He also authors his own personal blog, titled: “A Tuesday Afternoon.” He is the founder of the
copy editing company: Elemental Edit, which
provides content editing services for students, professionals, and small
businesses. Joe obtained his Bachelors of Arts in English at Stony Brook
University through their honor’s college in December of 2013. As a passionate
reader, writer, and aspiring entrepreneur, he also enjoys playing guitar,
reading poetry, and spending time with family and friends.
