If you are in the Raleigh area please come and support!! It is January 2nd, 7-9pm at Gallery C!
Designed for Joy has a wonderful mission and we want this place packed!
Gallery night site
background info under the cut!
What You Will Experience
The exhibit features thoughtful and compelling works across watercolor, quilting, mixed media, zines, cross stitch, quilling, and other creative forms. Each piece offers a unique perspective on issues affecting women and our community. Guided by creative prompts from group founder Kristen Sydow, artists explored themes such as housing inequity, the Pink Tax, access to healthcare, gender based violence, economic mobility, and community belonging. Some artists responded closely to these prompts while others followed their own direction, resulting in a collection that is diverse, expressive, and deeply engaging.
Why Craftivism and About the Collective
Craftivism brings creativity and activism together, using art to promote social change and inspire meaningful action. The Designed For Joy Craftivism Collective carries this spirit forward through the work of artists from a wide range of backgrounds including sewing, painting, quilting, illustration, photography, and design. United by a shared commitment to our mission to empower women in crisis, the Collective creates pieces that encourage viewers to reflect, connect, and consider their role in building a more just and compassionate community.
Join Us January 2
Experience creativity with purpose. Engage with meaningful art. Support women finding stability, dignity, and hope through Designed For Joy. We look forward to welcoming you to Perspective Reframed and sharing an unforgettable evening of artistry and advocacy.
NORWOOD, Ohio (WKRC) - A local non-profit that empowers women in the workforce recently moved into a new, larger space, allowing for more wo
NORWOOD, Ohio (WKRC) - A local non-profit that empowers women in the workforce recently moved into a new, larger space, allowing for more women to be served in the community.
Dress for Success Cincinnati is now located at 4623 Wesley Ave suite H, near the Hamilton County Board of Elections office.
Getting a job isn't easy when you have no work history, no transportation or you've been down on your luck for a long time. But, one organiz
RALEIGH, N.C. — Getting a job isn't easy when you have no work history, no transportation or you've been down on your luck for a long time. But one organization in Raleigh is lifting up unemployed women, and at the same time, contributing to the economic development of downtown Raleigh.
When 21-year-old Nour Alfadel first arrived from Jordan with her family several months ago, she had no idea how to get a job.
"New country, new people and new culture," described Alfadel. "It's hard to be a girl here and work."
A refugee organization connected Alfadel with Designed for Joy, a local nonprofit partnered with the Women's Center to create a day program where women make items like jewelry and purses and get paid a living wage.
Designed for Joy founder Cary Heise said women don't need to have previous skills to come in. The nonprofit will teach women the necessary skills, such as marking holes in purses to put the strap in.
"We hire women [that] a lot of people wouldn't hire. We hire people emerging from trafficking, homelessness, prison and refugees. We give them a safe place to find some confidence," said Heise.
The program is now expanding - including moving from a 1,200-square-foot space in North Raleigh to a 5,000-square-foot warehouse - and taking advantage of the renaissance happening.
"Seeing the resurgence and redevelopment is really cool," said Christina Coffey, the vice-president of commercial real estate company Lee and Associates.
Coffey said re-purposing older buildings helps bring new life to downtown Raleigh.
"There's new developers, not just local, but out-of-state developers that are coming in, and they're pouring money into downtown Raleigh," she said.
But, Alfadel said the biggest renaissance taking place is in the lives of women.
"When I came here, it was like I dream ... I didn't believe it," said Alfadel.
"Many women come to us with no job history, or maybe job history in the sex industry, and we give them a solid job reference, and we help them refresh their resume and get out there into full-time work," added Heise.
Designed for Joy's employees get paid $15 and generally stay for six to nine months, then, they usually have the confidence and skills to pursue a full-time job.
