TAPS for Hope: Supporting Afghan War Widows
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TAPS for Hope: Supporting Afghan War Widows
The mission of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is to offer immediate and long-term emotional help, hope and healing to all those grieving the death of a loved one in military service to America, regardless of their relationship to the deceased or the circumstances of the death. TAPS provides services that include the 24-7 National Military Survivor Helpline (800-959-TAPS), peer support, camps for children and teens, grief and trauma resources, emergency financial assistance and more.
TAPS has assisted more than 80,000 surviving families nationwide since 1994. In addition to serving grieving families stateside, they also have been doing incredible work with Afghan widows, who have been left with no resources and no way to support their families after the loss of their husbands, fighting and translating on America’s side. Afghanistan has the most widows per capita out of any country – over 70,000 in Kabul alone.
In Afghan society, the loss of a husband – often the only source of income for the family – means a loss of security and stability. TAPS found a new way to support these widows and their families while also lifting up their own mission of hope and healing through the Afghan Hope Project. With abundant supplies of high quality semi-precious stones available to them, TAPS has been employing these widows to make bracelets.
Each bracelet is handmade by an Afghan war widow from the Lapis Lazuli stones that are harvested in Afghanistan. The raw Lapis is milled into beads by an Afghan woman-owned business, and those beads are then crafted into bracelets by Afghan Army widows trained as artisans in Kabul.
When you purchase one of these beautiful bracelets, you are empowering a war widow with a living wage that, in turn, helps to financially stabilize and educate her family. 100% of proceeds go back to the women and programs in Afghanistan.
I was lucky enough to receive three samples of these bracelets. They are not only beautiful, but sturdy and well made. The color is bold, and they are pieces you can wear every day or with something more dressy. The versatility would make these bracelets a great gift this holiday season for sure.
I have added the Afghan Hope Collection to my Gifts & Products that Give Back list. You can go directly to their website to shop here as well.
Have you started holiday shopping yet? Will you buy gifts that give back?