Creating Hope Away From Home
“With a record number of people forced to flee their homes, the international community must work together to give refugees more hope and more opportunities while they are away from home. The most effective way to support refugees is by including them in the communities where they have found safety — this means ensuring they can apply for jobs, enroll in schools and access services like housing and healthcare. Inclusion paves the way for long-term solutions for refugees and displaced people, allowing them to thrive in a new country or preparing them for a safe return to their home countries.” - USA for UNHCR
Our mission to support refugee women who are resettling in Chicago came to life as a result of our partnership with RefugeeOne. It was through that partnership we were introduced to Judith - one of the millions of refugees who have been forced to leave their homes in search of peace and safety. Judith was the very first to sew Everand pillows and is now, 4 years later, our primary seamstress and has made most of what you have in your home.
As Everand continues to grow, we’ve created a new partnership with Re:new Project in Glen Ellyn, IL. As a non-profit organization serving refugee women, Re:new’s studio offers ESL and free sewing classes as well as the opportunity to gain employment to create and sew beautiful handmade goods.
Supporting Our Local Community with Love
What started as a way to support refugee women has blossomed into a network of meaningful connections with other organizations and small businesses committed to creating lasting change locally. As Everand has grown, our mission has expanded and evolved with the needs of the community we care so deeply for.
In 2020, during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when so many of us felt disconnected, we knew we needed to mobilize our community to make a difference. Through our masks campaign, we provided masks to healthcare workers while keeping refugee women employed. Thanks to a joint effort between the Everand community and our seamstresses, we donated over 350 masks to local hospitals, along with notes of well wishes and thank yous to healthcare workers.
More recently, we teamed up with Humble Design Chicago - a non-profit organization that works to change lives by custom designing and fully furnishing home interiors for those emerging from homelessness. Through this partnership, we were able to use your purchases to donate pillows, which will be used to decorate the homes of local families transitioning out of homelessness.
Reaching Beyond Our Borders
In addition to our beloved partnerships here in the US, your purchases always support artisans around the world through the sustainably sourced fabrics used to make all of our home decor. Whether working directly with a small family business in India or scouring US markets where vendors showcase textiles made abroad, each of our fabrics is uniquely handmade. We share the story of each fabric in the descriptions of each of our products, which showcase the origin of each textile used, often using ancient techniques passed down from artisan to artisan over generations.
As we honor World Refugee Day, join us in making a life-changing difference in the world by including refugees in our workplaces and beyond.
