Giving Back!
Over the past few years I’ve been so lucky to experience the success of my brand, Spooky Girl, and I’m excited to share that starting in 2022, when Spooky Girl will be able to regularly give back to the community.
I stopped in Hawai’i while beginning a solo trip across the eastern part of the world in 2019 and had to stay longer than expected due to COVID19. While I was in the islands, I met the love of my life and we got married shortly after. Now,I’m about to celebrate my two year anniversary of living on Oahu, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that without giving something back to this beautiful island and the people it belongs to.
Donating and charitable giving have been on my mind a lot these last few months as I am beginning to see more financial success than I am used to. I built everything I had for myself and those years of scraping by don't seem far away at all. I can't help but prioritize sharing my success.
Especially as a non-native person living in Hawai'i, I think it's critical to our survival as a species to use our own successes to lift each other. Here in Hawai'i, and in so many places in the world, the dichotomy of the rich and poor, oppressor and oppressed is so stark. It's insane to see the way corporations, the tourist industry and the military treat the people who were born and raised here. I want to make sure that as my business grows, and especially while I'm here, I'm contributing as much as possible to this beautiful place and the people that care for it.
I've spent some time researching different organizations here on Oahu, but two that stood out were a children's program called Na Kama Kai that teaches about Hawaiian culture and conservation and a Hawaiian established old folks home called Lunalilo Home that provides housing and end of life care to native Hawaiians who can't afford it.
I'm starting a monthly program to donate to both these charities, and when you support me and my business, you’re supporting them as well.
I would encourage you to learn more about both of these organizations yourself and always seek to learn more about ways to lift the people around you up.
xx
Andi
