OUR SERVICE PROJECTS
Part of the mission of Florida West Coast Bead Society is to give back to our community. Our members make beaded jewelry for, and/or do projects with the organizations listed below. Our local bead shops, on a rotating basis, generously allow us to hold our Service Project Workdays at their stores, which we usually do once a month. Beaded jewelry may include bracelets, badge reels, eyeglass leashes, and key rings. We provide all of the beads and findings to make these items and members bring their own tools, needles, etc. Additional information and photos are shown below.
Upcoming Service Project Workdays:
In person workdays have been suspended due to the pandemic.
1. Sarasota Memorial Hospital – Gift Shop and Oncology Unit – 100% of the proceeds from the sales of our donated beaded items in the Gift Shop, including badge reels, badge holders, eyeglass leashes, earrings, and bracelets, goes to the Oncology Unit, allowing them to purchase some unfunded items for the benefit of their patients. We make and donate beaded bracelets, keychains, and assorted jewelry items given for the SMH Outpatient Oncology Unit to be given as gifts to patients needing a pick-me-up in their day. Every October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we partner with the SMH Oncology Unit in a Bake and Bead sale to raise funds for the unit and supporting “Make Strides Against Breast Cancer”.
2. The Pines of Sarasota – many of our donated beaded items are sold through The Pines two thrift shops with 100% of the proceeds going to directly support their resident clients. Some of the beaded items we donate are given to residents as holiday or special occasion gifts or prizes. The Pines of Sarasota provides rehabilitation services; assisted living; long-term, compassionate skilled nursing care that provides assistance with the activities of daily living; Alzheimer’s and memory care; and educational services for residential and at-home caregivers. Additionally, we do jewelry-making projects with residents of The Pines several times each year. http://pinesofsarasota.org/
3. Sarasota YMCA Youth Shelter – we recently added this new service project, approved by our members at our July 3, 2017 meeting. The YMCA Youth Shelter is a short-term residential facility for kids in crisis. The youth, aged 10-17, stay in the shelter for 30 days at most--and some may be repeat clients. We schedule sessions to do beading projects--making such things as memory wire bracelets; elastic bracelets; stringing of bracelets or necklaces; and possibly even some basic bead weaving projects. https://www.sarasotaymca.org/youthshelter/
Once a month we hold a Service Project Workday at one of our local bead stores. They have graciously allowed us to use their shops as a place to get together to make our beaded projects for SMH and The Pines. All are welcome to attend.
The Pines thrift shops also accept donations of all beaded items, so if you have any jewelry that you’d like to pass along that’s in good condition, please bring it to a future meeting and we will tag it and donate it along with the new items we’ve made.
5. Association of Florida Teaching Artists (AFTA) — We provide donations of beads and findings to Florida Association of Teaching Artists to use in their art programs. AFTA provides arts-based programming and community efforts and involvement to:
Address social issues through art experiences.
Expand and diversify existing in-school arts programming.
Connect artists to teachers and schools through short and long-term residencies both in-school and after-school.
Provide special programs for community groups and institutions.
Participate in public, private and community programs which promote education through the arts.
AFTA artists are professionals in their field, visual artists exhibiting in local galleries, published authors, classical and jazz musicians, videographers, and theatre and dance performers who present at venues locally and internationally.
AFTA provides afterschool programs for at-risk youth for schools, recreation and community centers providing them the skills to become successful in life.
AFTA also provides community programs for adults at the Robert L. Taylor Community Center.
