“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” (Winston Churchhill)

I hope that everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving last week. Mine was extremely restorative. Spent time with family, relaxed, and best of all — got to reunite with the whole Diversity Chic crew. Valery moved to Denver this summer, and it never felt right to plan a DC post without her.

It was perfect timing when Mon Amie reached out to us about participating in a campaign, because Valery was going to be back in town for the holidays. We are very intentional about brands we promote, and this was one we couldn’t wait to share with our readers! On this morning of #GivingTuesday, I’m so excited to be partnering with a brand that embodies the spirit of philanthropy in a beautiful, creative, and innovative way.

Mon Amie (which is coincidentally the french translation for “my friend”) launched in September of this year with a collection of watches with purpose. Developed in collaboration with WE Charity, a portion of proceeds from the sale of each watch benefits different philanthropic initiatives. Each watch design is dedicated to a specific cause such as clean water, financial tools, education, healthy food, and healthcare for communities around the world. Powered by WE’s Track Your Impact model, every Mon Amie package comes with an 8-digit code so you can track where and how the purchase has made a difference.

We were inspired by Mon Amie’s call-to-action about doing good. This couldn’t be just any ordinary blog collaboration. Knowing that Mon Amie and WE are helping international villages in need, we decided to do something in support of our local community as well. Denise had an idea to use our time together purposefully and put together donation boxes for an organization in need.

We chose to benefit the local nonprofit Metrocrest Services, who is doing amazing work to assist families, individuals, and senior adults coping with crisis situations, need help stabilizing their lives, or who require support to live independently. Food insecurity is a huge concern in the Dallas where the poverty rate has reached a crisis point. For many families, the holidays can be an especially difficult time of year. We compiled donations for Metrocrest’s food pantry as well as clothing for their resale store.

The watch I selected helps support a cause that I champion every day: Education. Each purchase of this watch provides school supplies for an entire classroom in a WE Villages partner community. It’s been a year since I left the fashion/tech industry for the nonprofit sector, and I still learn something new every day about the inequity affecting our city (and country). Working at Big Thought, I’ve become all too familiar with the educational opportunity gap we are trying to close.

Equitable educational opportunities are imperative for creating pathways out of poverty and preparing youth for successful careers. Mon Amie’s mission is to make a real impact in the world, and I truly believe that education is the way we can do this at scale. I’m so proud to wear this watch as a daily reminder of why I do what I do. If you are passionate about education and providing high-quality learning opportunities for all kids in Dallas, check out what we do at Big Thought!

Thank you to Mon Amie for inviting us to join in this special campaign that inspires the community to “wear the change” and do good. Don’t forget to visit Valery, Denise, and Sevi‘s blogs today to learn more about the causes close to their hearts.