Earth Day & Arbor Day...It's All Green

As you know, April 22nd was Earth Day, a day designated to promote awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.  And today, April 29th, is Arbor Day, a day to encourage tree planting and care.  It seems everywhere you turn these days it's all about being green.  And we got to thinking, what are we doing at Serendipity Cards & Gifts to do our part to make Earth a greener place?

Are we using recycled materials?  Yes, one of the most prominent ways we are using recycled materials is we purchase all of our shopping bags from Nashville Wraps.  Nashville Wraps is the leader in eco-friendly gift, retail and gourmet food packaging.  The particular bags we use, our handle shopping bags, are made of 50% recycled paper including 10% post consumer recycled papers.  The logo printed on them is printed using water based inks and the bags are 100% made in USA.  Shop with confidence at Serendipity knowing when you go home your items are secured in eco-friendly materials.

Are the products we sell made in the USA?  While we would prefer that 100% of our products were made in the USA this is not feasible at this time.  However, when making purchasing decisions at Serendipity management is very conscientious of this issue and bring in as many made in the USA products as possible.  Some of the made in the USA products are actually their best selling lines including Yankee, Swan Creek and Beanpod candles.  You might also be surprised to find out that over 75% of the sports collectibles are from Wincraft and made in the USA.  Danielson Designs is another great product that is not only made in the USA but is also made using recycled material and printed using water based inks.  All the Ann Clark cookies cutters are also made in the USA.  In addition to that soaps from Backyard Soaps and Skows Berry Farm, as well as, Gilbert Chocolates are made in Michigan.  By offering products made in the USA we are able to reduce our carbon footprint by decreasing fuel and other energy usage.

What other ways are we being environmentally conscientious? 

• We use direct thermal printers to print customer receipts and print shipping labels.  Direct thermal printers do not use ink to print therefore eliminating the use of ink and the recycling or disposal of ink cartridges.
• We recycle all packing materials our items arrive in and reuse them in packages we ship out.
• The boxes that we use to ship items are from Uline and made 100% in the USA.
• We use United States Postal Service for 95% of our outgoing packages as they have the widest logistical network and already travel to the destinations we ship to.
• Our floor shopping area is almost entirely lit by fluorescent bulbs.  Fluorescent bulbs are four to six times more efficient than incandescent bulbs.  
• We use email communication and social media sites to notify customers of sales, promotions, special events and other store news, as much as possible.
• Our HVAC units are programmed to follow a heating and cooling schedule maximizing the efficiency of the units and reducing drastic fluctuations in temperature.

These are just a few ways we are trying to do our part to make the Earth a greener place.  We are all always looking for ways to do things better and more efficiently at Serendipity while being eco-aware too.  Next year on Earth Day we hope to have an entirely new list of ways we are trying to do our part.  In the meantime, come in the store today, April 29th, 2011 and receive a free Beanpod Earthly Embrace sampler candle in honor of Earth Day & Arbor Day.

Have a question?  Contact us at:

Serendipity Cards & Gifts
1416 S. Main St., Ste 500
Adrian, MI 49221
517.263.6979
info@serendipitycardsandgifts.com
http://www.serendipitycardsandgifts.com/
Find us on Facebook

18 on the 18th at Serendipity Cards & Gifts (April 2011)

As she steps up to speak you see a person you can't help but admire.  She is smart, witty, engaging and well spoken with an infectious smile.  Below the surface she's a little nervous about giving a speech, but you can't tell.  On the surface she has nerves of steel and is very determined as she proceeds to deliver her speech to an audience of hundreds.

Meet Lillian Diuble, she's eight years old.  And the speech she delivered was to an audience of participants, organizers and supporters at the 2010 Foundation  Fighting Blindness VisionWalk.  One of the reasons they asked Lilly to speak is because her team raised so much money so fast (over $17,000 last year).  Lilly and her team ("Lilly's Friends") will be walking again in this years VisionWalk.  VisionWalk is the national signature fundraising event of the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

VisionWalk is a cause very near and dear to her and her family.  Although you don't notice anything but her smile, Lilly wears glasses and hearing aids, because she is hearing and visually impaired.  Her probable diagnosis is Usher Syndrome.  Usher Syndrome is a progressive disease causing most that have it to become blind and deaf.  Currently there is no cure for Usher Syndrome.  But Lilly, her family and fundraising team are more determined than ever to change that.

Lilly has been subjected to more than her fair share of exams and treatments since age two.  And recently she learned that a new lesion appeared on her right retina and another lesion is developing on her left.  This means, according to her mother Angie, that the degeneration is progressing.  But Lilly marches on, literally, to the 2011 VisionWalk raising money as she goes.

As owners of Serendipity Cards & Gifts, Craig & Kate, are very fortunate to know Lilly and her family.  Lilly is the daughter of Scott & Angie Diuble, of Manchester, and Angie is a Physician Assistant who works with Kate a registered nurse.  Working together in the emergency medical field allowed Angie and Kate to meet and become friends.  After meeting Angie you know where Lilly gets her strength and determination.  She's a mom who is very passionate about her family and finding a cure or treatment for her daughter's condition.

Upon finding out about Lilly, Craig and Kate immediately wanted to help.  If you have kids, as do Craig & Kate, your heart just pours out for what Angie and her family must go through.  You can pretend to know what they go through but we don't really know and never will unless you have a child affected like Lilly.  You don't meet special people like Lilly and her mom, Angie, often in life.  And that's why we are inspired to help.

This month on Monday, April 18th Serendipity Cards & Gifts in Adrian, Michigan is having a fundraising event to help Lilly raise money for the Foundation Fighting Blindness VisionWalk and "Lilly's Friends" team.  This monthly event is called "18 On the 18th" and the concept is simple.  Customers and supporters of Lilly come in on the 18th and shop and Serendipity Cards & Gifts donates 18% of every sale to "Lilly's Friends".  Come in and enjoy refreshments, register to win prizes and help support an eight year old little girl and her fight to cure or treat her condition.

If you are interested in helping but can't join us on the 18th or want to donate directly to Lilly's team you can do so by going to VisionWalk and clicking the Support Lilly's Friends button.  Also, Serendipity Cards & Gifts will be selling rubber bracelets for $5 and POP Eyes to be posted in store with your name for a $1.  You can also find out more about the Foundation Fighting Blindness and VisionWalk by clicking these links.  This year's VisionWalk  is at Kensington Metropark on Saturday, May 14th .

Come and help this eight year old little girl with her fight.

Have a question?  Contact us at:

Serendipity Cards & Gifts
1416 S. Main St., Ste 500
Adrian, MI 49221
517.263.6979
info@serendipitycardsandgifts.com
http://www.serendipitycardsandgifts.com/
Find us on Facebook

Note:  Next month's 18 On The 18th partner is American Cancer Society/Relay for Life.