NOVEMBER 19, 2016
(BROOKLYN, NY) — On Saturday, November 19, The Pop-Up Care Shop celebrated the season of giving with a clothing drive mixer, Cocktails for a Cause. Guests were invited to donate clothing and support the project’s GoFundMe campaign to benefit the women and children of SAMMON Build, a homeless women’s shelter in the Bronx.
Held at dope art space, Warehouse Gallery, located in the eclectic Brooklyn neighborhood Gowanus, the locale attracted creatives and entrepreneurs from near and far. The small gallery made a perfect cozy scene for this very chill and casual charity drive. Guests dined on light bites, sipped on pink cocktails, and took selfies (and “usies”) at the Care Shop Photobooth. DJ LotusMoon kept the mood high with old school meets new school mixes. The joyous occasion was captured by photographers Rayna Mengel and Nia Stevens.
Within just the first half-hour of the event, the donation boxes began to pile up with generous contributions of dresses, suits, and shoes. There was an overwhelming spirit of goodwill captivating the room. At the middle of the event, The Pop-Up Care Shop founders Kadia Blagrove and Kydee Williams raised awareness by sharing a few words on the rise of homelessness in NYC, before introducing the guest speaker and Director of SAMMON Build, Crystal Standish, who was overjoyed by the massive contributions overtaking the donation area.
Cocktails for a Cause, The Pop-Up Care Shop’s first-ever event, was a major success and was generously sponsored by brands that promote wellness and humanitarian values. Beverage sponsors included CORE, who provided guests with their thirst-quenching perfect pH water, Sparkling G, a new brand of delicious sparkling water, and RUNA, which has its own foundation that supports and protects tropical forests. Award-winning natural haircare brand Oyin Handmade also made a generous donation of their products in the gift bags, as did beauty brand Sensual Beauty Boutique. The venue was provided by gallery owners, husband and wife duo, Kamau and Lesley Ware. Guests were treated to the Wares’ creations, with Kamau’s, a photographer and historian, buzzed-about Black Gotham photography project adorning the walls and Lesley’s, an author and designer, mini pop-up craft shop, which donated 10% of its profit that day to SAMMON Build, residing in the lounge area.
The afternoon mixer was only Phase One of The Pop-Up Care Shop’s Two-Phase initiatives. The Pop-Up Care Shop is a traveling shop of donated goods for people in need to enjoy. This interactive charity project, founded by writers Kadia Blagrove and Kydee Williams, works in two phases. Phase One: ( November 19) Collect donations. Phase Two: (December 10) Go to shelter and set-up shop, using those donations as “merchandise.” The purpose and mission are to redeem people in need with the power of choice. Homelessness can leave anyone feeling like they’ve run out of options. Presenting someone with a dignified opportunity to choose what they want to wear, rather than just take whatever donation is given to them can make a world of difference in their lives. Last Saturday, The Pop-Up Care Shop collected over 500 pieces of clothing to set-up shop for the ~80 homeless women and children of SAMMON Build to choose from.
thepopupcareshop.org 