In the fall of 2022, a $4,000 Flourishing World grant was provided for twenty-seven women who had just left their old lives behind and were beginning a new chapter at Starfish Project. This grant provided holistic care, including safe housing, healthcare, child care, life coaching, counseling, and trauma related mental health therapies to help the women heal. In addition, the program provides educational grants and training such as literacy, math, and basic computer skills to empower the women now and into the future.

Due to a drastic raise in rent by her former landlord, Ana was in need of a new workshop and store. The Flourishing World Initiative granted Ana with $20,000. Combined with her own savings, Ana was able to build a beautiful new space that she opened in 2020. Her store now welcomes customers from around the world and hosts workshops to show others the ancient heirloom techniques of natural dye-making and backstrap loom weaving.

During the COVID pandemic, Sojourn Studios was forced to temporarily close its doors without profit. But a Flourishing World Initiative grant helped them continue paying their Artisans until the workshop could reopen. In addition, a $4000 grant is enabling the workshop to invest in mental health services for their Artisans, including individual counseling sessions and training. For many, this is their first time having access to mental health professionals who are helping them cope with past trauma in healthy ways and develop positive self-esteem.

Luis and Marina dreamed of growing their business, but their modest space made growth difficult. A $1,000 grant from Noonday allowed them to move their workshop from their home to a larger space next door. In 2018, another grant allowed the couple to make improvements to their home, including adding a second story to provide much needed space for their family. Noonday’s support continued through the COVID pandemic with $2,000 in grants that helped these tenacious entrepreneurs stay afloat when they needed it most.

In 2019, a $5,000 Flourishing World grant from Noonday supported life-changing social and healthcare programs for our Ethiopian Artisan Partners. While Ethiopia’s universal health care covers basic health needs for the women of Entoto Beth Artisans, these women sometimes experience medical emergencies that require additional attention. To help address this need, Noonday committed $5,000 to provide immediate medical attention in private hospitals, providing assurance that the women will be able to get the care they need.

Since 2018, Noonday has contributed $15,000 towards programs to help the women of Ellilta experience rehabilitation, security, and personal growth. A Noonday grant funded Ellilta’s matching savings program for 30 women, helping them plan for unforeseen expenses and break the cycle of poverty. When asked what they wanted most, our Ethiopian Artisan Partners were unanimous: education for their children. So we provided school fees and supplies for 12 school-aged children of Artisans.

In 2020, many Artisan families in Rosario and Alvaro’s community were struggling to stay afloat in the midst of the COVID pandemic. To help them bridge the gap during a time of decreased orders, Noonday provided a grant that helped 90 Artisan families with food and other necessities. In 2020, Noonday provided a grant that provided Artisans with eye exams and glare - resistant glasses, enabling them to invest in their long-term health and wellness.

Since 2017, Noonday has donated over $35,000 to support our Haitian partners in their mission to help their communities flourish. One grant recipient is Carmelle. After losing her life savings to fraud and theft, Carmelle was able to finally build a safe and secure home of her own for herself and her daughter. Another grant recipient, Michel-Ange, is a visionary entrepreneur who was able to build her own workshop–and now employs women in need in her community.

During the COVID pandemic, grants from Noonday helped Tara distribute over 2,500 food kits and 2,300 health kits each month for Artisans, their families, and fellow community members. In addition, consistent orders from Noonday during this time helped Tara’s Artisans be able to continue working from home while financially supporting their families. “We do not have words to thank you all enough,” Moon (Tara CEO) says. “The orders and emergency support helped us to continue to work, retain the staff, and support the Artisans.”

In 2019, a $5,000 Noonday grant enabled Bawa Hope to develop a brand-new workshop to help grow their impact in the community. When a fire damaged the workshop in 2021, destroying machinery, tools, and raw materials, an additional grant allowed Anne and Andrew to restore what was lost. During COVID, our Kenyan Artisan Partners struggled with access to food. To meet this need, Noonday donated $12,000 to help provide meals and other necessities for Artisan families

In June of 2020, Noonday Collection provided Trinity with a $1000 COVID hardship grant to help Joseph and his Artisans weather the storm caused by the pandemic. This grant, along with an additional grant in August 2022, was shared equally among the Artisans, helping cover needed food, rent, and medical expenses.

In 2020, a COVID relief grant from Noonday provided food to ensure that Artisans and their families didn’t have to go to bed hungry. Part of our COVID relief grant went toward providing warm coats to Artisans who needed them in the mountains of rural Peru. Through capacity building investments, we have helped equip Hilos y Colores to not just meet the immediate needs of their Artisans, but to build a sustainable business with a long - term impact. When Faustino, one of the founders of Hilos y Colores, fell ill, Noonday helped fund a medical evacuation from the mountains to a hospital in Lima, where he received life - saving care.

Since 2017, a Flourishing World Initiative grant has covered the cost of school fees for Sheilla, the daughter of one of Umucyo’s Artisans who tragically passed away. These funds have enabled Sheilla to graduate secondary school, complete an internship, and go on to pursue a career in hospitality.

A library grant from Noonday has helped create literary opportunities for the community. Prior to COVID - 19, Noonday partnered with Ajuna to create a community day care where children can be safe and cared for. Water filters funded through a Flourishing World Initiative grant enabled Artisans to enjoy safe drinking water in their homes. During the COVID - 19 pandemic, a Flourishing World Initiative grant provided aid for food and workshop operating expenses that helped bridge the gap for Artisan families.