Hope Wissel

Make a Difference For Mother’s Day

If you follow my blog you know, a HUGE part of my journey with Thirty One is to help others.  Sometimes it is a fundraising project, or a donation to an event or giving to someone who was just in need of some loving.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s a small goal or a HUGE goal, I want to help.  As a result, I have been able to donate to various causes throughout the years.

This is not to toot my own horn. None of these projects would be possible if it were not for the support of my friends, family and customers.  Individuals who believe in the cause, or just want to help. Okay, can you guess where this is leading…. YOU GOT IT!

Last year, for Easter, and for Mother’s Day we donated baskets to Dottie’s House.  Dottie’s House is a transitional housing facility designed to aid women and children who have survived domestic violence. They proactively help these families develop the life skills needed to become self-sufficient for their future financial and emotional independence.

Why is Dottie’s House so special to me?  I was a child of domestic violence……..  behind the doors of our seemingly normal middle class family, the was abuse.  My dad was an alcoholic and my mom suffered the consequences sometimes – physically and verbally.  Mom never left.  In fact there was a time when dad left and because I was so clueless as to what was happening, I begged for him to come back.  My mom took him back.  My mom was brave for enduring the struggle.  These women at Dottie’s House are brave for taking their kids and fleeing.  

If you have children, think about how your hubby or your family make sure you have a special Mother’s Day.  For many of the women at Dottie’s House, they do not have the same support system so Mother’s Day could be just another day.  I want them to know they are special too.

So with the help of my family, friends and customers, we are putting together “pampering pouches” as Mother’s Day Gifts for these ladies.  The goal is 31 since – 18 for the 18 units at Dottie’s House and the balance for the moms who have moved into their forever homes with Homes Now, Inc.

The $20 sponsorship will pay for the actual bag and I will use 100% of my commission to fill them with a variety of things like a fuzzy socks, notepad, pen, lotion, and chap stick.  My friends in direct sales will also be adding pampering products to make these hardworking mommas feel special.

Since I began my “give back program”, over $10,000 in products and cash donations have been made to various causes.  It fills my cup to know we have made the difference in the lives of so many people.

In addition, I am selling Domestic Violence Angel Awareness charms for $7 with the proceeds being donated to Dottie’s House.

Who is with me? For $20 you can bring a smile to a mom who is a survivor of domestic violence.   The cut-off is April 20th so the bags will arrive in time to be stuffed and delivered on May 12th.  This project is near and dear to my heart.  It is a tribute to the women I know who have escaped and survived domestic violence.

You can sponsor a bag in memory of someone, in honor of someone or just anonymously. Payments can be made via check or through Paypal at hopesgiftcloset@@comcast.net as a friend/family.  I can also accept credit card payments directly.  Please complete the form for more details:

Won’t you help to make a difference today?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Hope Wissel

Make a Difference For Mother’s Day

As you know if you follow my blog, a HUGE part of my journey with Thirty One is to help others.  Sometimes it is a fundraising project, or a donation to an event or giving to someone who was just in need of some loving.  It doesn’t matter whether it’s a small goal or a HUGE goal, I want to help.  As a result, I have been able to donate to various causes throughout the years.

This is not to toot my own horn. None of these projects would be possible if it were not for the support of my friends, family and customers.  Individuals who believe in the cause, or just want to help. Okay, can you guess where this is leading…. YOU GOT IT!

For Easter, we donated 25 Easter Baskets to Dottie’s House.  Dottie’s House is a transitional housing facility designed to aid women and children who have survived domestic violence. They proactively help these families develop the life skills needed to become self-sufficient for their future financial and emotional independence.

While delivering them, I was sharing stories of my days as a Social Worker with the South Jersey AIDS Alliance when SMACK!  Mother’s Day was quickly approaching and I wanted these moms to feel some love.

If you have children, think about how your hubby or your family make sure you have a special Mother’s Day.  For many of the women at Dottie’s House, they do not have the same support system so Mother’s Day could be just another day.  I want them to know they are special too.

So, again with the help of my family, friends and customers, we are putting together “pampering bags” as Mother’s Day Gifts for these ladies.  The goal is 18 since there are 18 units at Dottie’s House.  So far we are halfway there.

The $20 sponsorship will pay for the actual bag and I will use 100% of my commission to fill them with a variety of things like a fuzzy socks, notepad, pen, lotion, and chap stick.  My friends in direct sales will also be adding pampering products to make these hardworking mommas feel special.   

In addition, I am selling Domestic Violence Angel Awareness magnets for $5 with the proceeds being donated to Dottie’s House.

Since I began my “give back program”, almost $10,000 in products and cash donations have been made to various causes.  It fills my cup to know we have made the difference in the lives of so many people.

So, who is with me? For $20 you can bring a smile to a mom who is a survivor of domestic violence.   The cut-off is April 20th so the bags will arrive in time to be stuffed and delivered on May 9th.  This project is near and dear to my heart.  It is a tribute to the women I know who have escaped and survived domestic violence.

You can sponsor a bag in memory of someone, in honor of someone or just anonymously. Payments can be made via check or through Paypal at hopesgiftcloset@@comcast.net as a friend/family.  I can also accept credit card payments directly.  Please complete the form for more details:

Won’t you help to make a difference today?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

Hope Wissel

Thankful for Military Families

In the midst of all of the struggles and strife in our county, I am blessed to be part of a company who makes a difference in the lives of so many people.  Giving is so much a part of who I am and I love the opportunity to help locally as well as knowing the company I represent is doing it as well.  The following is re-post from my Thirty One website….

Those who know us know we’re a company driven by our mission to strengthen families. This commitment extends beyond our Thirty-One Gifts circle to reach military families across the country. Since 2013, Thirty-One Gives has proudly partnered with Operation Homefront to help make sure U.S. military families in the greatest need can enjoy a full holiday meal – and more.
About Operation Homefront

Operation Homefront is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose stated mission is “to build strong, stable and secure military families so they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.” For more than 15 years, it has provided financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing programs, and caregiver and family support services to the military families who need them most.

Holiday Meals for Military

One of Operation Homefront’s key services is Holiday Meals for Military. The goal of this program is to distribute complete holiday meal kits, which include everything families need for a spectacular holiday meal: turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing and vegetables – plus additional food for a holiday breakfast. Military families in need are invited to pick up the kits at their local base.
The program began in 2009 as a result of a stranger paying for a military family’s Thanksgiving groceries at a supermarket in Utica, New York, near Fort Drum. When the man behind the family in the checkout line saw them removing food items they could not afford from their cart, he paid the $12 for their groceries – then worked with Operation Homefront to start Holiday Meals for Military. Since then, the program has served nearly 200,000 military children and close to 60,000 military families.

Read more about this touching meeting and how it led to the formation of the Holiday Meals for Military program.

Proudly supporting those who serve

Since 2013, Thirty-One Gives has provided 14,500 Large Utility Totes to hold all the food items families receive through Holiday Meals for Military. Aaron Taylor, Senior Director of Media Relations for Operation Homefront, shares that even soldiers and their families who aren’t familiar with the Thirty-One Gifts brand “immediately recognize the totes as something special. They add a level of excitement to our programs, and our staff and volunteers are always proud to give a bag from Thirty-One Gifts to these deserving families.”
Here’s what just some of the recipients had to say about their new Thirty-One Gifts products:

Operation Homefront is amazing…We got two huge bags  full of ingredients to make a meal and a pretty carrying bag.   Marcy R.

I love love love the tote bag that I got at the Holiday Meals Event!   Brooke O.

Thirty-One Gives throughout the year

We have been blessed with many more opportunities to show support for our soldiers and military families through this important partnership since 2013, having provided more than 68,000 products to Operation Homefront overall, with a retail value of $2.8 million.

This includes 2,075 Zip-Top Organizing Utility Totes to serve as baby bags, which have been given to new mothers at Operation Homefront’s Star-Spangled Baby Showers. Plus, 6,800 military kids have received our thermal totes as part of the Back-to-School Brigade™, Operation Homefront’s nationwide school supply collection campaign.

“Our military families are dedicated to service,” says Aaron from Operation Homefront. “Even small gestures in recognition of that service show that the American people are grateful for our men and women in uniform, and the families that also serve our nation alongside them. The impact of our partnership with Thirty-One Gifts is to remind these families that they are appreciated by everyone.”

Visit Operation Homefront online to discover ways to give and learn how you can get involved with their programs today to help military families find relief, resiliency and recurring support in times of need.

Will you help to make a difference in the lives of others?  Click on the link and share the name of someone you think needs some loving….

Give Back with Me

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Business Tips and Tricks

Direct Sales and FUNdraising

I don’t know about you but as soon as it hit September 15th, I feel like my mailbox (snail mail and email) has been hit with LOTS of requests for donations.  Some from organizations near and dear to my heart while others are those spammy kind which try to pull on your heart strings.  As someone who does fundraising through my direct sales business, I tend to look at the pleas in a different way.

Fundraising can be done with monetary donations or by making a difference in the lives of others with gifts which will bring a smile to their face as they battle their struggle.

I know, you are wondering how to make fundraising work for your direct sales business right?  I actually issued this as a challenge to my team.  Find out what causes are near and dear to the hearts of your customers, pick one which is also dear to you and go for it!  What better way to get to know people then by finding out what causes they love.

So, why is fundraising a good move for your business?  Let’s start with your desire to build a team and move up in leadership.  In most DS companies, you earn income not only from your business but also from those who are on your team – bigger team = greater income.

If you want to grow your team, statistics show the more people you’re in front of, the more you will recruit. It’s a number’s game.

TIP #1:  Some of your best recruits can come as a result of being the hostess of fundraisers. Don’t forget to ask them to join your team and do their OWN fundraisers in the future! If they are raising money for a group, chances are-they know TONS of people!

TIP #2:  Make sure you funnel everyone into your customer group so they will continue to see your recruiting (and booking) posts.

TIP #3: Make sure you invite people from the Facebook Event to your team’s monthly opportunity night!  Find the one who comments a lot, who already has a lot of your product or the one every seems to ask for their opinion.

TIP #4: This is the most important as far as I am concerned! Send a “thank you” email to everyone who ordered from the party with links and graphics for booking and recruiting.

How can fundraisers help you with your bookings?  Again, the more people you’re in front of, the more bookings you’re going to get. Funnel everyone from your fundraiser into your customer group and you’ve created a breeding ground for future bookings!

TIP #1: Create a way for everyone who attends the fundraiser to help even more Tell by offering a booking incentive.  Something like, anyone who books a party (limit the dates) will also have 10% of THEIR party donated to this fundraiser/cause.   This is a great way to get your hostess booking parties for you! I also offer something to my hostess so she is pushing the bookings too.

TIP #2:  I do my events so they are linked to my public business page so everyone can SHARE the event! Maybe even do a giveaway for anyone who shares a certain post onto their personal timeline.  Create excitement.  Make it fun.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could have an extra $500 to $1000 a month in baseline sales BEFORE you even enter in any your regular parties?

What are some of you best fundraising tips?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Hope Wissel

Saturday Spotlight: Usborne Books

SideBubble-shop

It is time for Saturday Spotlight and today we are featuring Usborne Books & More business by Marcy Drexler.   Here is what she has to say about her business:

As a team leader and being part of the company for 3 years, I have been able to books into the hands of children. Not sure there is anything better than helping the future leaders of tomorrow find their love of reading.

Literacy is so important and Usborne Books & More offers so many ways to make quality books available to children and their families. As our Mission Statement reflects, “The future of our world depends on the education of our children. We deliver educational excellence one book at a time. We provide economic opportunity while fostering strong family values. We touch the lives of children for a lifetime.”

Marcy gets to work with school, libraries, daycares, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and of course moms and dads to get great, educational and FUN books into the hands of young readers. One of her favorite things is what I call Book Benefits. Helping out families during financial struggles, when they are touched by death or health issues or need fundraising for adoption – we run a Book Benefit and they get 100% of the commission earned and much of the time all the free books!

To SHOP Usborne Books & More
View the current catalog which features the complete line of Usborne and Kane Miller titles.
To Join Marcy on Facebook

I wish I had of known about this amazing company when Belinda was little or when I was working as a Social Worker with kids who were struggling.  What a great way to get books into the hands of kids!

Looking for something to carry those books in?  Why not check out Thirty One’s Cinch Sac. So cute and sporty! Toss all your items for ballet, soccer, school and sleepovers into this bag, pull the drawstring and you’re good to go! There are so many patterns and colors to choose from to make it uniquely yours. Measures approx: 18.5”H x 14.5”W

What book are YOU reading now?  Share it with us..

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!