Noonday Collection

When you satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

Your night will become like the noonday.

Isaiah 58:10

I am so excited to share with you about Noonday Collection.

I am friends with a sweet teacher, Erin, who is an ambassador for Noonday and asked me if I would be interested in reviewing a product.  Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to help spread word about a company who has the goal of helping others.  I learned more about these sweet people and was blown away.  I couldn't wait to blog about it!

Noonday Collection is centered around the passion for helping oppressed people in countries of the world where sustainable income is hard to come by or nonexistent.  The company was founded by Joe and Jessica Honegger, who, after visiting Uganda and decided to adopt internationally from Rwanda, began selling fair-trade, artisan-made goods in Austin, TX to raise money for the costly adoption process and help support the Ugandan people. This was the first Noonday Collection trunk show- an opportunity for women to gather, purchase jewelry, accessories, and other items made by artisans in other countries, and advocate for women and children.

Now, Noonday collection sells a variety of {gorgeous} items made by Artisans from Ethiopia, India, Uganda, Peru, Rwanda, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Madagascar.  They are sold through ambassadors who style friends at their own trunk shows or through online orders (more info at the end!).  Because these are fair-trade items, Noonday will "pay their artisans a living wage in advance for their products. This means they are often getting an average of 4 times more than others in a similar line of work. By purchasing their items, we enable them to continue to grow their businesses and create sustainable income opportunities for them and their community."  Watch to see a clearer picture of what they do and who they help:

Noonday also advocates for the adoption of orphans.

Noonday advocates for orphans by:

• Providing jobs for Artisans that create a pathway out of poverty for families. A stable income means a family is less likely to abandon their child.
• Help families raise money for their own adoptions. They give 10% of trunk show sales directly to the adoptive family when they host a trunk show.  These can be domestic or international adoptions.
• Aside from donating 10% towards qualified adoptive families, Noonday Collection also gives towards orphan care and prevention.

I have known several people who have chosen to adopt.  Their stories are beautiful, regardless of the road that led them to pursue adoption.  As exciting as it can be to start the adoption process and begin the paperwork and home studies, the financial burden adoption carries can be overwhelming.  One thing I love about Noonday is that, with every sale and trunk show, they have the opportunity to minister to two different families- those in other countries that are able to earn fair-trade wages to support themselves and their families, as well as those who are pursuing adoption and can benefit from financial help to bring their child home. I plan on hosting a show for a friend of mine who is currently in the process of adopting and couldn't be more excited.

Noonday strongly encourages hostesses who want to donate their rewards to adoptive families to do so for a friends or find adoptive parents in their local community.  Walking with someone closely during their adoption process brings such support and can really make a personal impact for both parties.  This personal connection helps to share the vision and passion behind Noonday, and makes room for meeting all kinds of new friends surrounding the family's adoption.  And, what joy for the hostess to finally meet the child they helped to bring home!


Added bonus- this stuff is gorg.  My friend, Erin, sent me the Ancient Ways Necklace from Noonday to review:

This piece is handmade in Ethiopia using recycled nickel, copper, and bronze melted down from previous war weapons. Most of the artisans who created the pieces in this particular set are HIV positive and receive health care and literacy training in addition to job training.  I received it in a little sewn pouch and thank you note, wrapped in a bubble mailing envelope. 
I absolutely love it.  I love wearing it, knowing someone who was in need was helped by this company and can support their family.  I love that I can pray for that person and ask that the love of Christ surround them and their families.  I love that something such as a war weapon from this country isn't a war weapon anymore.  It's around my neck as a beautiful piece of jewelry, made by the hands of one of God's children.
And, I just think it's gorgeous.  
It's heavy.  Not in the I'm-going-to-take-this-off-after-work-as-soon-as-I-get-in-the-parking-lot kind of heavy, but the type of heavy that means it's of great quality.  It's the type of heavy that tells me it was handmade.  It's the type of heavy that reminds me that, although we are never promised a perfect, easy life, the heavy burden of providing for a family has been lifted from someones shoulders somewhere in the world.  I like that.  I wear it with joy.

If you are interested in helping someone provide for their family in an oppressed area of the world, know someone who is in the process of trying to adopt and would like to host a trunk show to help them with the costs of adoption, or just like gorgeous jewelry and accessories, visit Erin's Noonday Website.  You can browse the collection, as well as click on the yellow tabs to read more about how the collections are made and how trunk shows work.
If you live in the Kansas City area and would like to host a show and have Erin come and style you and your friends, send her an email at ecnoonday(at)gmail(dot)com.  On top of being sweeter than sugar, this girl knows style.  You will have a blast with her!
If you have questions, leave a comment and I will steer you in the right direction to get that answered.  Now, go shop!