One of the best thing about our work is our clients. We don’t necessarily always get to chose who we work with and—don’t get me wrong—we’ve had our fare share of headaches over the years, but, when you grow very deliberately at a measured pace like we have, you get the benefit of refining your client base and purposely cultivating the projects you take on. Which is part of why we’re so proud of the people we do work with over the years, from small businesses in New York and LA and across the country to national and international non-profit agencies to the United Nations.
One small business that we’ve enjoyed working with for a good while now is Garfield Realty, a boutique Brooklyn-based realty firm that specializes in Brownstone Brooklyn. Run by Elizabeth Kohen and Pual Paglia, the two have been a joy to work with as we walked them through a rebranding of company messaging and given them a new take on their firm’s visuals and public persona. They even included Owen in an ad campaign!
Garfield recently started the non-profit, Dream Cases, in an effort to provide luggage and donated gifts to children entering foster care. As they explain on their Web site:
“When children are suddenly removed from their homes, they often carry their belongings or mementos in trash bags, either barely filled or bursting at the seams. Carrying personal treasures in trash bags makes children feel disposable too. To make their transition more dignified and hopeful, we give children a safe place to store and transport objects that hold meaning in their lives. For some, the gifts we provide are all they have to call their own.”
Elizabeth explains further:
“Some kids enter foster care with nothing to call their own. Many carry their belongings in trash bags that are sometimes thrown away by mistake, in spite of them going to great lengths to protect what little they have. These kids all need an anchor. As my husband and I are exploring foster parenting, I realized this is a concrete issue that we could tackle with other people’s interest and support–and so the idea for Dream Cases was born. I’m hopeful that Dream Cases can give foster kids pride and ownership over something in their lives.”
You can read more form Elizabeth on Dream Cases’ About page.
Looking for a (fun) way to chip in? Dream Cases is currently running an online fundraiser with a goal of $5,000 to help fund Dream Cases through the year. Tickets are cheap—$5 for a single; $10 for three, with a free ticket for every six bought—and the Brooklyn-centric prizes are pretty great, featuring the likes of classes from Area Yoga, gift cards from local restaurants, a pie from Brooklyn favorites Four and Twenty Blackbirds, advice from development pro and raven + crow co-colaborator, Pel, a gift card from our friends at Tres Belle, and a ton more.
You can see the full list of raffle items and securely buy tickets on the Dream Cases site. But hurry—the raffle ends at noon next Wednesday, July 2.
Dream Cases artwork by illustrator Deborah Marcero.
Below—stuff you can win.
