Print 4 Change

Moccasins, The Beach, and a Game of Hoops? Oh My!

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:46:35 -0400

Print 4 Change just returned from another amazing trip to Haiti! Once again, we leave this experience with a greater appreciation of the challenges facing the Haitian people, as well as a continued energy to provide relief and sustainable solutions wherever we can. Our journey began in Cite Soleil, the poorest slum in the Western Hemisphere, where we had the privilege of helping Healing Haiti with the delivery of 7,500 gallons of water at three separate stops. Clean water is life changing for the people of Haiti where 1 in 8 children die before their 5^th birthday, many as a result of diseases caused by unsafe drinking water.

On our second day in Haiti we had quite an adventure! First we brought all the Grace Village kids to a beautiful Haitian beach. The kids sang songs in the tap tap buses to and from and enjoyed every minute! Afterwards, our team helped install a basketball hoop purchased by Print 4 Change and a heated game ensued. We’re not sure who had more fun – the kids or the adults!

Our third and final day was full of action. To start the day we attended a beautiful service at Grace Church. It was a packed house and a wonderful way to end our time there. Then, we had the opportunity to deliver about 50 pairs of shoes from our friends at Minnetonka Moccasin to people living in tent cities in Haiti. We are so grateful to Minnetonka Moccasin for being such a generous client and friend. Seeing the joy on the peoples’ faces as they received the shoes was priceless!

Needless to say, our last 2012 insight trip to Haiti was a success, and we’re already looking forward to our Insight Trips scheduled in 2013.

A huge thank you to our clients and friends who joined us. It is your daily business that is making a difference and helping grow the good! For more information on our Insight Trips, please email celia@print4change.com.

Oliver, Our New Mascot? We think so!

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 10:31:02 -0400

Meet Oliver. Born and raised in Port au Prince, Haiti, he never imagined that he would be living in the ‘Big Apple’. But that all changed when he met Lisa on our most recent Insight Trip, proof that ‘growing the good’ comes in many forms!

Lisa Camarato, a long-time friend and client of Print 4 Change, took her first trip to Haiti this past September. As she looks back on the trip, she recalls it being “an amazing experience,” one that has changed her life in more ways than one.

Lisa was introduced to Oliver when she first arrived at the guesthouse in Port au Prince. Tails wagged enthusiastically as Oliver, his brothers and sisters, and their parents, Bacon and Princess, greeted her and the rest of the team.

Of all of the pups, Oliver captured Lisa’s heart. “He was the smallest puppy who wasn’t getting a lot of food and he seemed to have a problem with his vision,” Lisa told us. Being the most submissive of all of his siblings, she thought Oliver would mesh well with her somewhat domineering dog Taz, who was waiting for her back home. Lisa knew then that she could not leave Haiti empty-handed. And with that generous decision, Lisa brought four-month old Oliver from Haiti to his new home in New York City.

When he first arrived in the states, he was a bit uneasy to leave the house. Five weeks have now passed and we are happy to report that he has successfully come out of his shell! Lisa told us that, “Although a handful, he has been extremely entertaining. He now has about ten dogs that are in his play group that he sees every day.” Oliver has quite the fan club and has stolen the hearts of everyone he meets. His 10-year old brother Taz is teaching him all the “doggy ropes” and they enjoy chasing and tackling each other around the house.

Print 4 Change admires Lisa for how she is ‘growing the good’ in her own, unique way, and we are glad to hear that Taz and Oliver are starting to form a close bond. Lisa, thank you for sharing your heartfelt story about adopting Oliver and for welcoming him into your home.

Goods to Good: October 2012

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 11:32:21 -0400

Print 4 Change is excited to share with you our Goods to Good campaign for the month of October! With your help this month, we’ll be working together towards empowering people living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the poorest countries in the world.

How will your ‘Goods = Good’ this month?

Simply put, every project produced with us (the goods) will help create sustainability in the community of Kinshasa by providing microloans (the good). Offering microfinance loans to impoverished communities creates opportunity for recipients, which allows them to start or expand a business, provide for their family, employ others in the area, and build up the local community.

So let’s work together in October, for a world of good in November! Partner with us and let’s change the world, one microloan at a time!

Back from Haiti!

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:24:32 -0400

Print 4 Change just returned from another amazing trip to Haiti! Four times a year we ask clients and friends to join on an Insight Trip to witness extreme poverty first-hand and experience how their daily business is making a difference, moving things forward, and changing the world!

One of the many highlights from our trip last week was visiting Grace Village where we made beaded bracelets with the kids and butterfly snack packs to bring to the elderly, fed lunch to the kids, and even played on the biggest playground in Haiti!

A few of our trip-goers became quite attached to the children and, from the looks of it, it would seem the feeling was mutual.

Other stops on our journey included caring for the sick children at Mother Teresa’ orphanage and delivering clean water to Cite Soleil, the poorest slum in the Western Hemisphere. For more information on our Insight Trips, please email mm@print4change.com.

Goods to Good Launch

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:30:00 -0400

Print 4 Change is thrilled to launch our first monthly Goods to Good campaign! With your help, each month we’ll work together towards one common goal, one project that will powerfully impact the world at large. Every project produced with us (the goods), will create sustainability in communities around the world (the good). Simply put, Goods = Good.

To kick it off right, we’re starting big! We believe the most sustainable solution to poverty is education so, with your help, we’d like to invest in the lives of 1,497 children living in Tanzania by providing a playground for their school in the Nkungi Village. Building a playground will bring the children from surrounding rural areas to the school to get an education, while the playground itself acting as a platform to build crucial social and cognitive skills. Every project you do with us in the month of September will help us to make this a reality in October!

So let’s work together…for a world of good! Let’s elevate, inspire, and move things forward!

Duffy & Partners + P4C

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:59:59 -0400

Print 4 Change cherishes our relationships with talented clients who push our team to problem solve in creative ways. Duffy & Partners presented the Hochstadter’s Slow and Low Rye Whiskey Labels project to us after three years in its design phase. Expectations were high, which only fueled our desire to bring them the best product on time and on budget. We continue to work closely with the talented team at Duffy in printing these labels.

The Minneapolis Egotist, a great online resource for Twin Cities agencies and clients, recently featured the “Slow and Low” project.

Lady Foot Locker + American Forests + Print 4 Change

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:39:00 -0400

Print 4 Change teamed up with American Forests and Lady Foot Locker to plant 2,100 trees so that thousands of people living along the Gingee River will have clean drinking water. When the project is complete, 64,102 trees will be planted, all of which will help to restore groundwater for nearby impoverished communities. Trees are vital for, not only the air that we breathe, but also the ground that we walk on. Once trees are planted, rainwater flow is slowed down so that water can successfully seep into the ground and refill storage tanks. Restoration of ground water supplies, erosion reduction, and stream flow sustainability will all provide a healthier future for 100,000 people.

We’re thrilled about our partnership with American Forests because we invest in change that is well rooted. A huge thanks to our clients, Lady Foot Locker and American Forests, for the opportunity to change the world! We absolutely could not do it without you!

See the album on Facebook!: http://tinyurl.com/cs6zzqz

P4C + Healing Haiti + Amour Creole Magazine

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:46:00 -0400

When an outside party represents an organization and its mission on paper, it is only natural to hope that the values and goals of the organization are effectively communicated and represented. Amour Creole did just that when they included Print 4 Change in the Summer 2012 issue. The opening paragraph and tagline say it all:

“ After 20 minutes, you’re home. You can finally shower off the dirt clinging to your skin, but instead of walking to a tiled shower stall, you walk into a room the size of an airplane bathroom- a room with cement walls and no roof. Instead of a faucet with running water, you wash with water from the bucket you just hauled. This is the reality many children in Haiti live with daily- but not for the children of Grace Village.”

Vania Andre and Marie- Renee Malvosin, the writers of the article, accurately depict Print 4 Change’s goal to fully engage in the lives that are being changed through everyday business. Just as clients want to see tangible, quality visuals delivered on time with top service, so should they be able to see the direct impact their everyday business has on those living in poverty. This is why we have Insight trips for clients, and why employees have the opportunity to travel to Haiti once a year. Print 4 Change is building a movement with transparency. We want to engage clients and our audience with the programs we fund and show where the money is directly going. We’re not a company that writes and mails a check.

P4C Co-Founder, Krista Carroll’s words were shared in the article, giving her the opportunity to share her experience last December in moving 40 kids into Grace Village, a place with pillows, beds and toilets- rarities in Titanyen. “Teaching children how to shower with running water was one of the most gratifying moments in my life” said Krista. “Simple comforts like running water and flushing toilets are something these children hadn’t experience.” Projects come and go, printed displays are taken out of stores but the playground that was funded by these print jobs will still be there. The smiles on the kids faces will remain for years to come, and water will continue to be delivered to those in need. And that is what a sustainable business engine is about. Creating long lasting change. Krista Carrol says it best, “I think engaged philanthropy brings the donor and non-profit into a deeper partnership in which more impact can be made. Engaged philanthropy is also much more rewarding and motivating than simply making a donation, and it is key to creating an engine to empower those living in extreme poverty.”

People want to see the change that is happening and that’s how the P4C engine operates. The tagline of the article reads: “U.S. company proves successful NGO partnerships can happen.” We’re blessed to have the loyal clients that we do and our partnership with Healing Haiti. The mission is simple- the more work we do and the more people we work with, the more good can be seen. And the more people can experience the sweet moment of something like showering for the very first time. Thanks to writers Vania Andre and Marie-Renee Malvonsin for representing the Print 4 Change engine in the right light.

P4C + Meds & Food For...

Thu, 31 May 2012 12:13:00 -0400

P4C + Meds & Food For Kids + Healing Haiti

Everyday business can provide supplements for malnourished Haitian children. 1 out of 10 children in Haiti are malnourished, 1 out of 5 are underweight, and 1/14 will die before the age of 5. The reality of these facts is hard to stomach, and our team members who recently went on an Insight Trip to Haiti, could attest to this issue facing the Haitian population as widespread. According to Meds & Food For Kids, there’s a solution within reach that can provide lasting sustainable change. They created a nutritional supplement called Medika Mamba- “Peanut Butter Medicine” in Creole- made from locally grown peanuts and raw materials. Each supplement contains 500 calories, a good blend of fat, carbohydrates, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals for growth. Print 4 Change supports initiatives like MFK and Medika Mamba because of the sustainable solutions they provide. The impact of the supplement is even greater than nourishing the population of Haiti. Sustainable solutions will be made for the local economy as well, by employing and training Haitians to farm and manufacture the product at a factory in Haiti, currently undergoing construction.

Our dear friend, nutrition advocate, and mission leader, Kristina Demuth discovered this organization and supplement when Healing Haiti reached out to her on behalf of the children of Grace Village in Titanyen, Haiti. She traveled down to Haiti to give nutrition assessments on the children who were, up until recently, orphans. After entering data into the World Health Organization’s Growth Chart, she assessed which children needed the supplement. In February, 19 kids between the ages of 6 and 17 years old started the supplement and since then, 5 have discontinued it’s use due to the success of the product. Malnourished children are more likely to contract viruses and diseases, and their cognitive development can be impaired. By taking a supplement like Medika Mamba at an early age, the longevity and quality of their life increases. The average weight gain for the 19 kids has been 6 pounds, and Kristina says this number is increasing quickly and all kids will soon be considered a healthy weight. She is thankful for the experience that allowed her to put her passion for nutrition to work with organizations she cares deeply for. “I am so incredibly blessed to be a part of this all and have the support of Print 4 Change with my nutrition work. Words cannot express my gratitude and appreciation for what they have done to support these children and me”, Kristina says. Of course we wouldn’t be able to nourish others without our loyal clients, the power of print, and supporters of Healing Haiti.

P4C + Juut + 3Seams

Mon, 07 May 2012 15:39:00 -0400

Print 4 Change actively supports initiatives that provide sustainable solutions, while empowering people in extreme poverty. These ideals are displayed on multiple levels through this print project recently completed in December 2011. Print4Change partnered with Minneapolis’ own Juut Salon and Spa to create this unique Holiday gift box.

The “Replenishment Package” is the result of a collaboration between Print 4 Change, Juut designers, Caitlin Scott and Ashley Borntrager, and 3Seams. 3Seams is an initiative started by Inga Swope, that creates opportunities for Haitian women seamstresses to use their skills so they can be better equipped to support their families. This team of perseverant and talented women sewed each burlap envelope containing the gift card, which sits snug inside each box. Unlike other gift cards that contain a carcinogen known as PVC, this card we had printed on sustainably managed North American Birch. 80 lb Classic Crest Cover paper was used to create each 3 3/8” by 5.75 “ box.

Choosing Juut this past Holiday season, allowed both gifters and receivers the chance to give back in a big way…while also getting the opportunity to be pampered.

Check out 3Seams’ site to learn more about their mission: http://www.3seams.com

Print 4 Change was featured in the May 2012 issue of Twin Cities...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:41:35 -0400

Print 4 Change was featured in the May 2012 issue of Twin Cities Business, as part of their annual focus on giving and philanthropy. Jeremy Carroll, Co-Founder of Print 4 Change, was interviewed, allowing him to share updates on the ways Print 4 Change is empowering the developing world through a model combining both business and philanthropy. The article highlights the initial nudge that Co-Founders Jeremy and Krista Carroll felt, which led them to start the company after a life changing trip to Haiti in 2009. Both present and future goals were also featured, such as Print 4 Change’s philanthropic efforts with charity: water, Healing Haiti and Opportunity International, to name a few. According to Jeremy Carroll, “We see ourselves as a conduit to deliver great products and celebrate the success of each project by empowering others. As we build our client base, that engine to empower people gets bigger and bigger and bigger.” We’re so thankful to Print 4 Change’s 16 employees and many loyal clients who help to produce great work while empowering those in extreme poverty every day.

...

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:35:00 -0400

x+P 4 C = ______
We work to solve this equation daily, and with the help of our clients, and valued non-profit partnerships, we equip people living in poverty to be empowered and self sufficient. A goal of our partnership with Opportunity International was recently reached in the construction of a self-sustainable private high school in Nicaragua for students living in rural poverty. The Emprendedor school is built upon an entrepreneurial curriculum used to motivate children to rise out of poverty through education and training. Graduates will leave with a high school diploma and technical certificate in either Agriculture or Tourism, two of the most popular and successful professions in the region. As of right now, the school has two co-ed classrooms, an office and a library. A grade will be added each year, and new classrooms and other necessary spaces will gradually be built. This is an on-going project, that is off to a great start.

The school is one of the many projects Opportunity International is involved with as part of a Community development initiative. The intitiatives are set in place to help implement local input and ownership projects within the community as a way of empowering the groups and its leaders to achieve better results.

It takes an idea, a space, some support, and willing contributors to bring a goal like this fruition. We realize the impact a new approach to thinking can make in the life of a student and others in the community and we are thrilled to have been a part of this project!

click on the photo to find out more about Opportunity International.

And click here to read more about the Emprendedor School: http://www.opportunity.org/blog/first-day-of-school-in-nicaragua/#.T0PqO4l5mc0

Print 4 Change Debuts Again at NYC Spring Fashion Week

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:29:24 -0500

New York, New York, February 2012 - Guests piled in to the Dream Hotel to celebrate and fundraise for The Leadership Foundation and Elevate New York this spring fashion week here in NYC. The evening hosted a fashion show, leadership and mentoring non-profit organizations, celebrity performances, and couture cocktails!

Cortney Renee has joined Elevate New York as their marketing specialist and announced the launch of the Elevate + Print 4 Change partnership through their student run social enterprise. The notebooks were displayed and sold during the evening to a rather fashionable and posh NYC crowd!

We look forward to what will come next out of this partnership with Kevin Singleton’s mentoring program, Elevate New York!

~Largest Playground in Haiti~

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:50:00 -0500

We wanted to give you an inside view of the construction of Haiti’s largest playground, installed by Print 4 Change, at Healing Haiti’s Grace Village property. One of our Print 4 Change teams traveled to Haiti last fall with our partner Healing Haiti to install the playground and it opened with great success. Enjoy!

Student Social Enterprise: P4C + Elevate NY

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:36:54 -0500

The spirit of collaboration is all about “working together” and that is the goal of Print 4 Change’s latest partnership with Elevate New York.

It all started with a visit to the classroom. Jeremy Carroll, Vice President of Print 4 Change, was invited by Kevin Singleton, founder of Elevate New York, to share with the students the secrets of social enterprise.

The students were so inspired by the idea that business could do good that they wanted a hand in it. So Print 4 Change challenged the students with a business opportunity - the chance to sell custom Elevate notebooks to raise funds for their very own mentor program.

The rules of the game: 50% of each notebook goes to Elevate, and the sales are to be managed by the students.

We are excited to share, so enjoy! To see more shots from the campaign shoot visit our Facebook page! To see more about the notebook project visit Elevate New York!

Good News Broadcast Interview with Cortney Renee

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:23:00 -0500

Good News Broadcast Interview with Cortney Renee:

Good News Broadcast had a chance to chat with our team member, Cortney Renee. She gives a shout out to Print 4 Change for growing the good!

CHOICES interview with Rick Spaude

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:29:14 -0500

CHOICES interview with Rick Spaude:

Our very own, Rick Spaude, was interviewed by CHOICES - a blog built to inspire discussions around sustainability. Enjoy!

That's A Wrap!

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:48:00 -0500

So we hit the streets of Manhattan (in between our Christmas shopping and the New Year) to catch a glimpse of the holiday window displays produced by Print 4 Change. Seeing the final product made us smile and we wanted to share our excitement with you. Thanks to Champs, Foot Locker and Lady Foot Locker for an amazing year! That’s a wrap! 2012 here we come!

Jwaye Nwèl To Our Clients!

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:01:00 -0500

Jwaye Nwèl is the Haitian Creole translation for “Merry Christmas”, and that’s what we wished all of our clients this year along with a delicious gift. Here is a peek at this year’s client gift ~ a customized Print 4 Change bottle of wine! Cheers to all the wonderful companies we partner with to make the world a better place. We love growing the good with you! Best in the New Year!

All of us at Print 4 Change

THANK YOU + Merry Christmas from Print 4 Change!

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:45:00 -0500

As 2011 comes to a close, we want to say thank you to all of those who made this year a success! We made stellar progress this year and are thrilled for the next season of growing the good with you! THANK YOU + Merry Christmas + Happy New Year from all of us at Print 4 Change!