Hope Stone, Inc.

Houston-based, performing arts nonprofit not only keeps hope thriving for the art of dance, theater performance and children’s outreach, but brings life to a one-of-a-kind residency program that supports performance artists in the early stages of their artistic journey.

Although performing arts remain lively, diverse and exciting in Houston, arts education is clearly lacking in our society. A sluggish economy and lack of funding to support arts education programs tend to be the biggest culprits. Yet those concerned few who continue to believe in the magic of the arts and embrace the mind-boggling impact it continues to have on diverse populations surge forth without hesitation to create exciting pathways for gifted artists in search of artistic development, growth and success.

That’s Jane Weiner, in a nutshell.

Weiner, the Bowling Green University graduate (degree in deaf/elementary education, with a minor in dance), newly hitched (her better half, the wonderful Eric Mallory) and mother to 5 furry children (3 cats and 2 dogs), has lived and breathed dance and the performing arts for as long as she can remember. As founding executive director and artistic director of Hope Stone, Inc., the main hub to Hope Stone Dance Company (a professional dance & theater performance company), Kid’s Play (Hope Stone’s outreach arts program for children ages 6-18) and HopeWerks (an innovative residency grant program offered to emerging choreographers and performance artists), Weiner provides stellar artistic guidance and instruction to kids on the cutting edge of gifted and talented and young, gifted artists who teeter on the brink of uncertainty and desire to establish long-term careers in dance and the performing arts. Her decision to be a beacon of hope to aspiring artists didn’t surface overnight, but rather is the composite of privileged opportunities of working with some of the highly esteemed in the industry; a firm belief that there is no greater gift than being an “open door” for others; strong advocacy for the advancement of the arts; and the muse of her younger sister Susan (a 17-year breast cancer survivor), whose middle name (“Hope”) would emphatically snag naming rights to Weiner’s performing arts organization (hence, the name Hope Stone).

Per Weiner, “Prior to my transition to Houston 15 years ago, I experienced a wonderful dance career touring the United States and internationally for 11-plus years as one of the founding members of the Doug Elkins Dance Company in New York. When Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer, I moved to Houston to be with her; it was a tough period for her, yet she experienced a host of miracles and is still here to talk about it. After Susan got on her feet, I began to explore “the arts” in Houston and grew to love the “open arms” community here – enough to establish Hope Stone, Inc. in 1997, where we initially concentrated on community artistic performance, art outreach to at-risk children, and community dance and movement classes. The Kid’s Play program was created in 2002 to make arts education accessible to all children, with satellite locations in Houston, Katy and New Orleans and recent partnerships with four new schools and after-school programs (Harbach-Ripley Charter School; Positive Playdates; Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston and Change Happens). We now service more than 500 kids. In 2004, we snagged a small, renovated loft to create Hope Center, our home for both our year-round dance and movement classes for children and adults and for our nationally acclaimed professional dance company, Hope Stone Dance Company. In 2006, we moved into the Tribeca Lofts, our current 3,500sf space in Houston’s historic Fourth Ward. With the support of a hard-working, savvy board of directors, we’re working hard to expose art to even more people.”

HopeWerks, a space grant offered to budding performing artists, is clearly an “open arms” concept, and to date, one-of-a-kind in Houston.

Many new artists struggle with the expense of creating and presenting work and even starting a new company. Through HopeWerks, select artists are given 3 months of unlimited rehearsal time at Hope Center to create and debut their work, as well as learn all the business aspects of presenting a performance. “While dancing in New York, 98% of our rehearsal space was free because of the generosity of 3 gym owners who understood our struggle as artists and were kind enough to make complimentary accommodations available to us. I believe that young performers today deserve the same testing ground and the same opportunity. Through HopeWerks, I empower young artists and provide them workspace to explore their creativity without them having to worry about paying the rent and the electric bill and other associated costs. I am happy that I am in position to give back to our community in this way.”

Hope Stone, Inc.
1210 W. Clay Street, Studio 26
Houston, Texas 77019
713.526.1907
www.hopestoneinc.org

By Susan M. Bynam
Photography by Gabriella Nissen

I Am Waters Foundation
From the Runway to the Streets: Elena Davis gives Houston’s homeless a message in a bottle

Rags to riches
Elena Davis has graced the pages of Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar, but life wasn’t always so glamorous for the founder of I Am Water. One of four siblings, Davis was raised in California by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet. “We led a very transient lifestyle. I went to a dozen different schools. Food was an issue because we relied on food stamps. My mother was often at work or school, so my older brother Doane always made sure we got something to eat, even if it was just sharing a can of soup.”

At age 16, Davis moved to Paris. On her second day, she scored a photo shoot with GermanVogue. “I never stopped working after that,” she says. Avoiding the pitfalls of the supermodel lifestyle, she built a solid career. “I never went to parties. I was afraid to go out at night because of the terrible neighborhoods I grew up in,” she recalls. Eventually, she returned to the US and was able to help her siblings pursue their own dreams.

In 2009, Davis founded I Am Waters, a nonprofit foundation that provides safe, transportable water to homeless individuals and shelters. During the summer of 2011, I Am Water delivered 300,000 bottles of water throughout Houston, Ft. Worth and Austin.

Giving water, hope and inspiration
Access to safe drinking water is a real problem for the homeless, especially during the hot summer months. “If you are homeless, you can’t get the key to the gas station bathroom. If you try to access a faucet or a hose, you might be trespassing,” says Davis. “And the shelters don’t have the funds allocated for take-away water.”

Staying hydrated is key when it comes to overcoming difficult situations. “What we are hearing from the shelters is that the homeless who come in and use services are able to go on more job interviews and stay away from the shelter longer because they have three to five of our bottles that they can put in a bag.”

Those bottles are labeled with inspirational words: LOVE, HOPE, PEACE and DREAM. “When a homeless person finds out that a bottle of water was made expressly for them, that it wasn’t a castoff or a second-hand thing, with this specially branded package, it makes them feel that somebody on the outside knows that they’re there,” Davis explains. “It has a big impact on how they perceive themselves.”
The true face of homelessness
“The homeless label engenders preconceived notions that they are mentally ill or have been in prison,” says Davis. “We want to shift that perception. They could be anybody.” In fact, 1 in 3 homeless are families, according to I Am Water. Those individuals – including children and single parents – may be less visible but their stories are often compelling. “They are just people, like anybody else. We all have a certain idea of what we want for our life, but then life happens. You can’t always predict whether you’re going to lose a job, or if someone in your family will get sick, or if you are going to become sick and end up spending all of your money and having to sell your house and the life that you had to pay off bills. These are very common stories.”

As part of their Image Campaign, I Am Waters has made a habit of photographing the individuals at the shelters it serves. A copy is offered to the subject and another is used in published material to put a face on homelessness. The photos are taken on white backgrounds. “It’s about removing them from their environment. A lot of how we perceive ourselves is based on the cues we get from those around us. When we show them the printed, laminated photographs, it brings out a flood of hopes and dreams,” she says. “It’s very powerful. Some of them haven’t been photographed since they were children.”

Keeping it green
I Am Waters bottles are 100% recyclable. The Foundation provides shelters with recycling services to help reduce waste. But another factor is helping keep litter to a minimum. “As it turns out, we’ve heard from the shelters that the homeless collect the bottles because the words mean so much to them. They peel the labels off and stick them on their wheelchairs, tents and sleeping bags,” explains Davis. The Foundation also minimizes its carbon footprint by bottling all its water locally in Lubbock.

I Am Waters Foundation is a nonprofit organization that relies entirely on private donations to fulfill its programs and has been supported with gifts from $10 to $100,000. To make a donation, go to iamwaters.com/donate/.

By Nadia Michel
Photography by Sofia van der Dys

The Altus Foundation

Taseer Badar

In 2010, more than 50 million Americans were reported as being uninsured. With the struggling economy and high national unemployment rate, the number of U.S. citizens without health insurance is growing continuously. In an effort to provide healthcare for the underprivileged and uninsured in the Houston, Beaumont and Baytown areas, Altus Healthcare Management Services – a healthcare organization established by a determined group of medical and financial specialists at ZT Wealth with the goal of ensuring the benefit of the health care dollar – has expanded their philanthropic efforts by creating a new nonprofit, the Altus Foundation.

The mission of the Altus Foundation is to develop resources for patients in need of healthcare services at an Altus healthcare facility utilizing philanthropic support and patient and community educational programs. The official announcement of the newly established foundation will happen December 3, during ZT Wealth’s black-tie, invitation-only 10th Annual Toast to Living Well affair. Other scheduled activities for the gala will include a substantial gift to The Rose, a local nonprofit whose mission is to reduce deaths from breast cancer by providing screening, diagnostics and access to treatment for all women regardless of their ability to pay.

ZT Wealth’s partnership with this nonprofit organization is especially important as The Rose provided 9,000 free patient breast care navigation services to Houston’s uninsured women in 2010 alone. “This partnership with The Rose will be a tremendous asset for our patients, our physicians and the communities we serve,” said Taseer Badar, Chief Executive Officer of Altus Healthcare Management Services and ZT Wealth. “We are very proud to contribute to The Rose’s legacy of ensuring that women needing treatment for breast cancer receive the best possible care.”

As President of the Altus Foundation, Badar is both excited and proud to establish the foundation and to be able to help those who are less fortunate. “We have five major goals for instituting the Altus Foundation,” said Badar.

“Those goals are to partner with communities to provide financial support and educational opportunities for Altus patients, including cancer and hospice patients, and to build and establish collaborative interactions between Altus and the communities we serve, including physicians, our vendors and community members. Also, we desire to provide cancer-screening and prevention services to the communities we live and work in, offer financial support for cancer patients undergoing treatment, and lastly, provide health-related educational programs for the communities we support.”

As a company, the executives of Altus HMS feel a personal responsibility to serve the community. “We at Altus have been fortunate and blessed. Establishing the Altus Foundation is our way of giving back to the community,” said Badar. “We strive to support those organizations whose missions dovetail with our foundation’s mission. Specifically, those who offer needed healthcare services to patients unable to pay for them.”

For over a decade, ZT Wealth has established powerful partnerships with clients seeking a comprehensive resource for financial freedom based on traditional, well-planned investing. Now, this trailblazing company is looking for ways to pay it forward, and their recent partnership with The Rose is just the beginning.

The establishment of the new Altus Foundation is a testament to their commitment of developing opportunities that will allow Altus Healthcare Management Services to reach out to Houston and its surrounding areas to provide quality healthcare without excluding those with low incomes.

“We wanted to establish a way for those who have received care at our facilities to get the help they need – whether at an Altus center or via our hospice program – and to provide support for others who need care and cannot afford it,” says Badar.

To learn more about the Altus Foundation, visit www.AltusHMS.com.

Securities offered through EDI Financial, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB

Advisory Services offered through EDI Investment Advisor Corporation

12221 Merit Drive, Suite 1020, Dallas TX 75251 214.528.4090

ZT Wealth, Inc. is not affiliated with EDI Financial, Inc./EDI Investment Advisor Corporation

The Independent Advisors and Independent Registered Representative of ZT Wealth, Inc. are affiliated with EDI Financial, Inc./EDI Investment Advisor Corporation.

By Kimberly Crowder

blue cure Foundation

Blue Cure Foundation.
Local non-profit aims to take a global stance of dispelling myth of prostate cancer being an old man’s disease.
by Susan M. Bynam

Prostate cancer is the number one cause of death from cancer in men of all ages. Previous reports have noted that prostate cancer is rarely found in men younger than 40.

Yet, Gabe Canales, a strong, healthy-looking, successful public relations executive, found himself in the early stages of prostate cancer at the tender age of 35 and didn’t even know it. A random physical would reveal that this lifelong athlete had the disease although he experienced no symptoms and had no family history of cancer.

Prostate cancer tends to develop in men over the age of 50 and although one of the prevalent types of cancer in men, men may never have any symptoms (as in Gabe’s case), may never undergo therapy and because men with the condition are often older, may eventually die of other causes unrelated to the disease. This year in America, an estimated 33,000 fathers, husbands, brothers and sons of all ages will lose their battle to the disease, and per the National Cancer Institute, 240,890 new cases will be diagnosed. These are exorbitant numbers that call for a far-reaching stance to bring even greater awareness to communities, globally.

THE BLUE CURE FOUNDATION, a non-profit founded by Gabe Canales in June 2011 post his journey with prostate cancer, seeks to eradicate these statistics, create a national platform of awareness, encourage annual screenings at a younger age, and promote the adoption of healthier lifestyle habits known to aid in the prevention of prostate cancer and save lives.

After all, it’s not just thought of to be an old man’s disease anymore. Just ask Gabe Canales, a living testimony.

Currently on Active Holistic Surveillance, Gabe shares “the cancer is monitored with quarterly blood tests, annual biopsies and I am on a strict diet and take immunotherapy supplements.” At the age of 37, Gabe is criss-crossing the country to appear on TV news shows, utilizing his PR expertise to touch communities with his Foundation’s message that early, yearly screenings, coupled with a healthier diet (organic, preferably), healthier lifestyle (organic and natural products, highly recommended), and consistent exercise habits are critical to reducing the number of prostate cancer-related deaths, annually. Per Gabe, “Prior to being diagnosed with prostate cancer, I avoided physicals and paid little attention to my diet. I knew nothing about the prostate or how to treat it once I found out I had the disease. After conversing with male friends of all ages, I discovered how little was known about the disease. Through vigorous self-study and consulting with some of the world’s top cancer specialists, fortunately, my cancer was detected early to undergo successful treatment. My expansive 20-plus year career as a PR professional has been instrumental in getting Blue Cure on the map. I am confident I can use my PR-marketing talent to put a spotlight on America’s #1 male cancer and make a monumental difference through Blue Cure.”

And, in a short period of time, Gabe has created a “blue” movement (the “blue” side of the “pink” breast cancer movement, but instead, for prostate cancer) that has garnered support from local and national celebrities (Houston philanthropist and fundraising visionary, Carolyn Farb; former U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Rod Paige; director of the Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Lorenzo Cohen; actress, Fran Drescher; actor-comedian, Bob Saget; Houston Texans, Matt Schaub and Mario Williams—to name a few) and from hundreds all around the world. Per Gabe, “Blue Cure has already reached millions of Americans through radio, print, TV and online media, yet global outreach and research funding are vital to soar Blue Cure’s mission to even greater heights. Blue Cure intends to target younger males through sports, celebrity and entertainment tie-ins and females (who greatly impact men’s health choices) through fashion and the arts. We hosted our first annual Fashion Presentation event in September at Neiman Marcus in Houston, helping to raise awareness to a younger generation and also grow the event with Neiman Marcus in other cities across the country.”

What’s on the horizon for Blue Cure?

Stay tuned for the 2011/2012 Runaround Series presented by key supporter, Sun & Ski Sports—the first run being a 15K event on December 3, 2011; Blue Cure is honored to be the beneficiary of proceeds from this dynamic initiative.

Remember: Think “blue” for prostate cancer…and, keep the “blue” movement going!

For more information about Blue Cure, Gabe Canales’ journey with prostate cancer, Blue Cure’s global outreach efforts, and how you can help to make a difference in our communities, please visit www.bluecure.org.

BLUE CURE FOUNDATION
Gabe Canales, Founder
Website: bluecure.org

Great Art and Philanthropic Efforts Make Causal Connection in a Big Way

Childhood hunger and homelessness spark the attention of a gourmet international market and talented local artists to implement a public art project to benefit a nutrition program at a local nonprofit.

Have you ever considered the notion that creating impressive art and cultivating influential change in a community share commonalities? Think about it. Creating art entails the conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors and/or forms in a manner that affects the sense of beauty; elevate this endeavor with high-quality execution and consider your product – immensely impressive. Impacting positive change in communities requires investing time, energy and self with other persons, places or things to foster and nurture relationships to ultimately create some type of benefit. The commonalities between creating impressive art and cultivating solid, community relationships? Well, if you conclude they both (1) require the human touch, (2) suggest that one removes fear and apprehension while engaged in the act, and (3) can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life – I wouldn’t necessarily crown you a genius, but let’s just say applying good, old-fashioned common sense is truly one of your specialties. And, when the Tcholakians (family owners of the soon-to-open downtown gourmet international market, Phoenicia Specialty Foods) joined forces with SEARCH Homeless Services (a Houston-based nonprofit that houses and equips homeless individuals and families with pertinent resources to mainstream them  into society as productive, responsible citizens) and six notable artists in the Houston community, the PHOENICIA KIDS MKT ART PROJECT was launched in anticipation of bringing greater awareness of childhood hunger and nutrition to the forefront.

Guess what? 1.35 million American children are homeless on any given night. Families and children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Doubtful about this?  Check the statistical information of the National Coalition for the Homeless. It’s there; trust me. Homelessness is a serious matter, Houston. Yet, the human touch, tenacity and outreach by local change agents Cookie Ashton, Mary Aldrich, Scott Carden, Rose Hohenberger, Armando Rodriguez – all local artists, led by 20-year veteran artist Katherine Houston (revered for her abstract paintings on plexiglass) – to an array of hopeful, homeless youth housed at SEARCH, sparked a 3-month art initiative through June 2011 that will not only support funding a nutrition program for them, but undoubtedly serve as a springboard for a professional art career for one, if not several, of these bright, smiley youngsters. Take just one glance at their beautifully crafted, painted designs of paper and canvas embellishments (steered by Katherine, her art colleagues and the Phoenicia management team) to corroborate that true talent not only emanates from Katherine’s dream team of artists, but dwells heavily among the youth within the perimeter of SEARCH. The kids’ designs have been intermixed to create a 10 x 13 public art mural for display on Phoenicia’s building in downtown Houston beginning May 16th. The mural will also highlight Phoenicia’s grand opening in June and remain on display the entire month. Per Katherine, “Fifty pieces of art provided by participating artists will be auctioned during Phoenicia’s grand opening event; 100% of the proceeds will benefit SEARCH’s young darlings and support SEARCH’s and Phoenicia’s quest of developing a solid, nutrition program for them. This has been an extremely rewarding experience for me and the participating artists. Although this art project officially comes to a close in June, our relationship with these children will continue on an ongoing basis. It is the desire of the artists to persist with nurturing the kids at SEARCH via art classes and through other avenues of support. We want to do our part in meeting the needs of these children and what better way to do so than by exploring our talent with them.”

For more information about the grand opening of Phoenicia Specialty Foods in downtown Houston and other Tcholakian family-owned establishments, visit www.phoeniciafoods.com.

Longing to bring greater awareness to childhood hunger and nutrition? Interested in transforming lives of homeless children and families at SEARCH? Visit www.searchhomeless.org or call Chelsea Wade, Development Associate, at 713.739.7752, x293.

PHOENICIA KIDS MKT ARTPublic Art DisplayMay 16-June 30, 2011Phoenicia Specialty Foods (downtown location)

PHOENICIA SPECIALTY FOODS(new downtown location)1001 Austin StreetHouston, Texas 77002281.558.8225www.phoeniciafoods.comEmail: info@phoeniciafoods.comSEARCHHomeless Services2505 Fannin StreetHouston, Texas 77002Chelsea Wade, Development Associate713.739.7752 x293www.searchhomeless.orgKATHERINE HOUSTONArtistSpring Street Studios1824 Spring StreetHouston, Texas 77007www.katherinehoustonart.com

By Susan M. BynamPhotography by Amitava Sarkar

New York  Has Alvin Ailey… Houston Has Urban Souls!

Urban Souls Dance Company Where Social Art Speaks Loud and Clear

Be Free of MS… Be Free…on the Road!

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has come a long way since founder Sylvia Lawry placed a small classified notice in The New York Times in 1945, seeking a response from anyone who had recovered from multiple sclerosis (more commonly referred to as MS), an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body. Her tireless quest to uncover the mystery behind this chronic debilitating disorder led her to rally 20 of the nation’s most prominent research scientists to launch the Association for Advancement of Research in Multiple Sclerosis in 1946, renamed to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 1947, an organized effort to stimulate and finance research for the cure, treatment and cause of MS. Lawry’s lifelong pursuit of a world free of MS sparked the Society’s vision to not only sponsor MS research, but provide information and service programs to enhance the lives of patients and their families while a cure was being sought.

MS thwarts bodily movement. Yet, by funding cutting-edge research, synergizing pivotal advocacy, facilitating educational programs and partnering with MS organizations across the country, the Society subsists to combat MS’ attack on the human race – now, more than ever before.

Since its early days of inception, the Society has established a multitude of chapters across its 50-state network – with 2 national offices in Denver, Colorado and New York, New York – to better serve people diagnosed with MS and their families. To date, the Society serves nationally some 400,000 Americans. Founded in 1955, the Lone Star Chapter in Texas, with offices in Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, Midland and San Antonio, likewise, is committed to providing quality programs and services to more than 56,000 Texans impacted by MS in 174 Texas counties. The Lone Star Chapter has also funded more than $5.3 million for ongoing MS investigations and research at medical institutions such as The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, UT Health Science Center, Texas A&M Health Science Center, University of Houston and Baylor College of Medicine. Each service and program implemented is executed to help those suffering with the disease maintain independence and a balanced lifestyle.

Per Debbie Pope, Lone Star Chapter Executive Vice President, Community Development and Marketing, “MS affects each impacted individual differently. The fact that one can’t predict from day to day how one’s body will react from the disease is enough to engage and mobilize as many individuals as possible to stimulate more awareness about MS from a local and global perspective. Cultivating and sustaining partnerships with various companies, nonprofits, organizations and individuals is essential for our progress. Through our 2011-2015 strategic response, we’ve fueled our progress by setting forth goals and objectives to streamline and synergize our work across our network. Exciting new disease modifying and symptoms management treatments are on the horizon, including the U.S. Food Drug and Administration’s (FDA) approval of the first oral disease-modifying therapy, Gilenya™.  And, creatively, Chapters continue to implement smart, fun initiatives to raise funds for those bombarded with MS, such as Lone Star’s exciting, BP MS 150 Bike Ride, which is the largest event of its kind in North America, having raised more than $131 million since its first ride in 1985. What’s great about this bike ride is that it’s not a race! It’s a well-organized, scenic, two-day, 180-mile fundraising cycling journey from Houston to Austin that brings together intergenerational families, corporate partners, partnering organizations, individuals, a vast pool of volunteers and even many MS patients and novice bike riders who’ve had sufficient training, for a cycling good time. With sufficient breakpoints, a fun overnight layover at the Fayette County Fairgrounds in LaGrange, Texas, and the second day culminating with exhilarating Finish Line activities at the state capitol in Austin, there truly isn’t a fundraising bike ride quite like it.“

To learn how you can help in Houston towards moving our country closer to a world free of MS, contact the local Lone Star Chapter office today.

For more information about the exciting  BP MS 150 Bike Ride, visit www.ms150.org.

NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY LONE STAR CHAPTER

8111 N. Stadium Drive, Suite 100

Houston, Texas 77054 | 713.394.2900

Toll-Free 1.800.323.4873 | 713.394.7422 (Fax)

www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/TXH

BUSINESS HOURS: Mon – Thurs 8:30am to 5:00pm | Fri 8:30am to 4:00pm

By Susan M. Bynam

Disaster…Devastation…Still, Bunyaad Delivers.

In the midst of turmoil and misfortune in Pakistan, Bunyaad, a nonprofit fair trade organization in Pakistan, provides an open door for artisans to earn a living with dignity.

When disaster impacts our communities, like the devastating floods that directly tormented the lives of approximately 20 million people in Pakistan during summer 2010, the media works fervently to ensure that persons are apprised of the most updated information as the disaster runs its course. Yet, the media exposure shared during the rebuild process pales in comparison to that which is shared during a disaster’s occurrence. Since the tumultuous deluge, the Pakistani economy has been heavily thwarted by extensive damage to its infrastructure, its crops and the livelihood of persons who call Pakistan “home.” Following the floods, many families returned to their villages to find their homes ravaged and their belongings in complete ruin. Job displacement has become the norm for most, leaving a vast multitude of Pakistani families financially paralyzed, yearning for deliverance from minimal, charitable relief efforts to a lifestyle that fosters greater self-respect and greater independence. The rebuild process continues to be a lengthy one. Yet, solutions to familial and financial problems are made possible by the outreach of a network right in the midst of Pakistani communities.

Bunyaad, a not-for-profit, fair-trade network centered in Lahore, Pakistan, sets the bar for year-round, productive and labor-intensive job creation programs, aiding Pakistani families grappling with feelings of unworthiness due to unemployment or underemployment, to reclaim a standard of living that is one of deference and dignity. And, through Bunyaad’s partnership with Ten Thousand Villages, its fair trade retailer in Houston, opportunities for artisans in developing countries are created such that they can earn income from their quality, hand-crafted products through long-term fair trading relationships.

Bunyaad provides employment for artisans in more than 100 villages throughout Pakistan. Like its name, meaning “foundation” in Urdu, Bunyaad labors tirelessly to establish strong foundations in Pakistan villages by paying a fair wage to its artisans. And, there is no better person to lead Bunyaad than its founder’s son and current director, Yousaf Chaman – working in various roles within the network at a young age, thus possessing the underpinning to surge this human services organization to even greater heights in the future. Per Yousaf, “Bunyaad got its start in the late ‘60s, rendering support to approximately 10 families. To date, approximately 850 families have been a part of this movement. We do our best to render job assistance where families can remain within their villages and work close to home during the tedious rebuild process. By extending fair wages to our artisans for their work, we position them to create improved living conditions for their families and to develop educational opportunities for their children. There is an application process for program participation, and in many instances, families have already approached us for assistance. At Bunyaad, we hone in on remote villages where opportunity for artisans is lacking. Oftentimes, we may work with a pool of families within one village for several years. In doing so, we are not showing bias; rather, the needs of those families within that community may far outweigh those from a neighboring community, thus, requiring our more immediate attention. It can be a long process, but it’s a very careful one.”

Many rug artisans in rebuild-mode in Pakistan are in great need of assistance. At the “Annual Fair Trade Oriental Rug Event and Seminar” held at Ten Thousand Villages in Houston, over 300 meticulously, handmade rugs are made available for sale. Per Yousaf, “By participating in this event, you experience the dynamics of Pakistani artistry, while bringing affordable works of beauty and creativity into your home. And, with each rug purchase, you are making a positive impact on someone’s life and future – someone or some family whom you’ve never met.”

Oh, that’s sweet deliverance for the Pakistani people!

Don’t miss this year’s Oriental Rug Event at Ten Thousand Villages on March 24–28, beginning with an Oriental Rugs Seminar on March 24 at 6pm.

Ten Thousand Villages

2424A Rice Boulevard | Houston, Texas 77005

713.533.1000

www.tenthousandvillages.com

Cassie Martin, Store Manager

Email: houston@tenthousandvillages.com

Dede Leister, Oriental Rug Program Coordinator

Email: dede.leister@rugs.tenthousandvillages.com

By Susan M. Bynam