Stay Home, Stay Safe & Let's Design for Good!
At the outset of 2020 I knew I wanted to give back to my community and I wanted to do it in a different way than I had in the past. With our children grown, I am no longer volunteering at their school or taking part in the charitable activities that were centered around them and what they were interested in.
When Don and I moved to North Hampton, New Hampshire trying to make new friends wasn’t easy. I think there are a couple of reasons for this, for one without kids in the schools I wasn’t being tossed into a common group situation with fellow parents, plus I was continuing to spend a lot of my time in Massachusetts with my design projects so I wasn’t getting as connected to my new Seacoast community. When a “new” friend invited me to a Womens’ Business League (WBL) meeting in Portsmouth I jumped at the chance. This group blew me away, over twenty professional women all interested in connecting, collaborating and lifting one another up - I couldn’t imagine anything better! Through the WBL I met Carrie Penna, Executive Director of Soul Models, a Seacoast-based organization built to empower Middle School girls to discover their authentic selves as they become mindful, confident, creative and engaged leaders. The group hosts after-school programs at three area schools that brings together the girls with inspiring and empowering “Soul Models” who guide the girls through an array of incredible exercises and activities centered on helping these girls grow into confident, capable young women. As a female entrepreneur the idea of nurturing what could become the next generation of designers and business owners in my field excited me and inspired me to help.
I was so excited to share this partnership with you in early March and then everything changed seemingly overnight due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Soul Model girls may not be in school right now but the value of this organization is more important than ever and so I am asking for your support. Inspired by a fellow WBL member, Linda Porter, a realtor, who committed to donating $100 for every closing I was sparked to do the same in my business. So for every one-hour consultation in 2020, KMI will be donating the $100 fee to Soul Models. I think this is the PERFECT time to support this organization because with our help right now, Carrie and Soul Models will be even better prepared and ready so that when these girls do return to school they will have the emotional and soul enriching support they will desperately need.
This photo of Carrie from Soul Models and I was taken long before self-distancing was a thing! This was the first donation from KMI to Soul Models. I don’t know who was more excited!
While our most urgent message is stay home and safe, I am hoping this time also shows us how we can help those that need it most, right from home. So, if you find yourself with your chin in your hand (don’t touch your face!!) while looking around your home, in need of design advice and want to have an online consult …give me a ring! For this #stayathome period I am excited to offer three one-hour consults a week through FaceTime or Zoom for $100 with that fee going directly to support Soul Models and our next generation of women in business. Together we can improve your home while also improving the lives of girls across the Seacoast.
Let’s Design for Good!
xo Kim
