One of Nozomi's three core values is blessing. We have been blessed, and therefore want to bless others around the world in great need. Here is an excerpt from the Nozomi Project guiding principles:
Profit made through Nozomi supports the Nozomi women staff, local people and projects of Tohoku, and/or is reinvested back into the organization. We also give some of our profit to organizations and/or individuals who are making a difference in bringing about hope and transformation to their communities. Our North American Be One staff do not receive any money from the profits of Nozomi Project.
Here are some of the ways we have been giving back:
- Nozomi has launched a new giving initiative to help the people of Ukraine. We are donating 50% of our sales from our limited Sunflower Collection to an organization helping refugee children and their families. Read more about
Children's Hunger Fund here. Thanks for your purchases that help us make a difference!
- We are concerned about human trafficking, and have created a special way to make a difference! We are donating $2 of each purchase of our Nozomi "Holding Hope" Necklace, Earrings, and Holding Hope Matching Sets to fight human trafficking in Japan. Each year we have had the joy of donating to organizations making a difference in this country, including Zoe International and Lighthouse.
- Over the last few years we have been working with a rescue center in Cambodia for vulnerable women and their families. In addition to donating to improve their lives, we have also been investing in a sewing project to help give them new skills. For a while, our ethically-sourced Dara Collection was packaged in denim gift bags made through this initiative!
- Our Nozomi team has moved to help those in other parts of Japan who are suffering from national disasters. We have sent funds and supplies to Kumamoto, Hiroshima, and Iwate that have made a difference for those suffering. Our Nozomi customers were wonderful supporters of our special Kumamoto Collection, in which profits were sent to victims of the earthquake there.
Photos: providing some financial assistance to those who suffered tremendous damage from a typhoon in Iwate Prefecture (just north of us).
Read more on our blog from this time: Giving Back: Flood Relief in Western Japan
In addition, some of the organizations to which we have contributed over the years include:
Local/Tohoku Projects:
- The Taylor Anderson Memorial Fund
- codopany.org - an NPO building parks and places for children and moms to gather
- The Rock (a sports center in Ishinomaki administered by Be One)
- Fukushima Hope Project (camp in Fukushima for children affected by nuclear disaster)
- CRASH/Japan
- SumiShou Mama Sans (a local group of moms who visited elementary schools and produced plays, read stories, etc. to help local children dealing with trauma)
- Providing blossoming trees for a local elementary school.
- Megumi Project (now discontinued)
National & Overseas Projects:
- Zoe Japan (part of Zoe International): organization that educates against and rescues children and orphans from human trafficking.
- Dipti Foundation: an organization in Bangladesh bringing relief
- Starfish Project: a social enterprise/business in which women rescued from human trafficking are making jewelry.
- Partners in Hope/Malawi: (a hospital working with AIDS patients)
- H2H Philippines (organization helping with reconstruction after typhoon)
- ELWA Hospital (Liberia, Africa, helping with Ebola patients and other needs)
- Nepal Family Rebuilding Packages/Asian Access
- Nakajima Hospice (Tokyo, Japan)
- Juntendo Cancer Clinics (Tokyo, Japan)