February 22, 2024
Business Reporting
RALEIGH, N.C. - A Raleigh-based nonprofit designed to provide women immediate employment and get them off the streets will open a new space in North Hills in April.
Designed For Joy, a nonprofit that provides living wages for women who are in crisis, hires women to make jewelry and handbags to sell at its store. The new Raleigh location, scheduled to open on April 10, will be a training space for women to learn management skills to prepare them for the workforce.
Cary Heise, executive director and founder of Designed For Joy, said the new location in North Hills is going to provide the store with a new audience.
“People are going to stumble upon us that have never heard of us before,” Heise said. “And so that’s what I’m super excited about.”
Kristen Sydow, creative director and co-owner, said Designed For Joy’s mission is to “help women coming out of a crisis, whether that is time in prison, homelessness, drug rehabilitation, or refugees.” She said Designed For Joy helps them move from a state of vulnerability to a state of economic stability.
Heise created Designed For Joy with Sydow in 2017. She was inspired after her mission trip to Rwanda where she saw this type of job model in action.
Since the establishment opened in 2017, revenue has almost doubled every year, according to Designed For Joy’s last annual report. Its generated revenue in 2023 was 20% from individual donors, 30% in grants, 28% in retail sales, and 11% in events and wholesale sales.
Heise said the budget last year was 1.2 million dollars. Sydow said Designed For Joy’s revenue is split evenly between product sales and donations.
“The growth has been incredible,” Sydow said. “And it’s really a testament to our community and what we’re doing here.”
Designed For Joy is partnered with other nonprofits in the area that refer women in crisis to them. Sydow said women can show up for a seven-day program where they work and get paid cash at the end of the day.
“We give her a safe place to be during the day,” Heise said. “We love her. We give her some purpose and community and then we feed her. That we can do up to seven times.” She said women use most of the cash for emergency funds or to fulfill basic needs.
She said if the program is a good fit, the women are invited into a three-month primary job program. She said the products they make such as bags, jewelry, and home decor are the base of their job training.
“We’re helping women build their confidence, refresh their resumes, help with interview skills, and getting them prepared for the job market,” Heise said. She said they have a 91% success rate, meaning that women who finish the three-month program move on to different types of permanent work.
Designed For Joy sells products such as leather handbags, jewelry, bracelets, and earrings that women make.
Morgan Kelly, 36, has been a customer and volunteer at Designed For Joy since 2018. She said she was blown away by Designed For Joy’s impact on the local community.
“I think truly their mission makes them unique and there’s beautiful craftsmanship of their products,” Kelly said. “It’s hard not to want to either volunteer with them or purchase something because you know it’s going to such an amazing cause.”
Since 2017, the employment programs have provided more than 30,000 hours and over $500,00 in living wages paid directly to 136 women in the community, according to the annual report.
Designed For Joy’s current location is 517 W. Cabarrus St. in Raleigh. North Hills is located at 4321 Lassiter at North Hills Avenue in Raleigh.