| Lucinda Yates. She’s creative, unique, has a heart of gold and serves as an inspiration to many. Growing up in Portland, Maine, family tragedy destroyed a 16-year-old Lucinda, and by age 25, she was living on the streets with her three-year-old daughter in California. After a year and a half of living and sleeping under bridges, standing in lines at the soup kitchens, being held at gunpoint and even sexual assault, Lucinda decided it was time to use her creativity to overcome this poverty. Never did she give up. While she felt sad, she always hoped to to change the situation she was in. Lucinda and her daughter moved back to Portland in the 1980’s. She worked by waitressing and selling jewelry. It wasn’t until 1988, where her entrepreneurial idea flourished, when she found some colorful mat boards in a trash can. After a few cuts, she eventually pieced together the shapes that resembled a house, and thus was the birth of an idea, to create a simple pin into the shape of a house, the idea of the “American Dream” and sell them to help others. She immediately thought it would be a great fundraiser for the homeless. Lucinda decided to sell these pins to local homeless shelters. The idea was to raise money for the homeless while creating a greater awareness of homelessness in her community. The pins were a success. Who knew Lucinda’s homelessness, her creativity from the “trash can” and her passion to help others would eventually turn into a thriving company…Designs by Lucinda. Today, Lucinda travels throughout the United States, speaking and inspiring audiences. Designs By Lucinda is a business dedicated to creating affordable handcrafted jewelry for the purpose of bringing financial help and awareness to non-profit organizations and their causes worldwide. Designs By Lucinda has helped raise over $25 million for non-profits with fundraising jewelry, and each of their pins is a unique design which has been sold in England, Germany, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Haiti, Jamaica, Iceland, Great Britain and all across the United States. Lucinda’s designs have made their way to the Santa Clarita Valley. You may have even seen them sold at the Soroptimist International of Greater Santa Clarita Valley’s Fashion Fun & Fantasy Fashion Show last March. The sale of the pins support the Single Mothers Outreach of Santa Clarita, a non-profit organization that has focused on empowering single parents and their children by providing hope, support, and resources so that families can be self-sustaining. “These pins make the perfect gift,” states DaAnne Smith, Executive Director. “It’s a great way to support Single Mothers Outreach programs that empower single parent families. It’s a gift with a social cause.” Pins cost $25 each and can be purchased at La Via Bella in the Westfield Valencia Town Center at 24300 Town Center Drive, #106, Fresh Boutique at 24263 Main Street in Newhall, or through Single Mothers Outreach’s website. Let’s support the Single Mothers Outreach and together, we can Change the World One Pin at a Time®. For more information on Designs By Lucinda, visit www.lucinda.com. For information on Single Mothers Outreach and how you can help, visit www.singlemothersoutreach.com. |
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