Last week I was given one of the greatest honors of my life. Fast Company included me as 1 of its 60 member League of Extraordinary Women for the work I do with Prosperity Candle. The “League” is designed to highlight a “network of high-achieving women from the world’s largest companies, innovative startups, philanthropic organizations, government, and the arts combined forces to change the lives of girls and women everywhere.” Notable women like Hillary Clinton, Cherie Blair, Melinda Gates, Maria Bello, Zainab Salbi, Oprah, Sheryl Wudunn, Christy Turlington, and Shakira are all included in the League of Extraordinary Women for the incredible work that they do to invest in women and girls.
Needless to say, I’m inspired and humbled to be in their company.
Prosperity Candle exists because we believe that every woman can be extraordinary. She only needs the opportunity and support to thrive and lead her community to become more peaceful and prosperous. I’d love to share two extraordinary women in the Prosperity Candle family that immediately jump to mind as examples:
Mee Mee
Mee Mee is an extraordinary woman, building a new life in the United States with her husband and 5 children after fleeing persecution and giving birth to her daughter in the jungle, all while struggling to learn English.
Wafa’a
Wafa’a is an extraordinary woman, inspiring her 5 sons (and providing for them) as she creates candles in the safety of her kitchen — lifting her family’s spirits and income after the devastating loss of her husband.
Every woman has a story, a voice, and so much potential to alter the future of her community.
Will you help us make sure that ALL the women we work with can be extraordinary?
If you feel inspired to do so, there are four easy things you can do to help us grow:
1) Make your next gift a Prosperity Candle gift. Every Prosperity Candle gift changes a woman’s life. Each candle offers economic opportunity to a woman rebuilding her life. We invest in women to create peace and prosperity around the world. You can learn exactly whose life you have changed by reading her name on the label of the candle, looking up her story, and sending her a personal note. Thinking about an upcoming birthday, patio party, bridal shower, or anniversary gift? Give Prosperity and give a gift that gives back three times.
2) Donate to support Prosperity Catalyst, the nonprofit arm of Prosperity Candle, to help women in Haiti prosper and thrive through candle-making. Prosperity Candle’s nonprofit arm, Prosperity Catalyst, focuses on preparing women to prosper and thrive. The Prosperity Catalyst ignites prosperity by providing women with training and support, while Prosperity Candle advances prosperity by offering women market access. We are growing Prosperity Catalyst now to launch our work in Haiti. Every donation makes a difference to a woman’s future.
3) Help us tell the stories of the unsung extraordinary women that we all know. Women all around the world change lives every day. We’d like to tell their stories. So we’re launching our Hidden Heroines blog series focused on sharing extraordinary women’s stories – featuring women from places as diverse as Massachusetts and Sudan. Please contribute by emailing your story submission to liz@prosperitycandle.com
4) Spread the word. Surely you know several other women like you that would feel inspired by our work? If so, please share this post with them, share our Facebook page with them, tweet about why you believe in @ProsperityCndle & investing in women (use #imwiththeleague) or host a Prosperity Party to share our story. We rely on word-of-mouth to get the word out about our mission!
Thank you for being an extraordinary woman. And thank you for helping us ignite more extraordinary women every day.
In light,
