Bayou Grace, a community organization based in Chauvin, Louisiana, works on many levels. They are advocates for saving the coastal lands and preserving the heritage of this vanishing part of the country. They provide community meals where residents can meet, get a hot meal, share information and just feel that sense of community. They are a resource for residents, helping out with pretty much anything people need. We applaud them.

When we developed SeaHope Partners our aim was to find a grassroots organization that helped people get back on their feet. We’ve found that in Bayou Grace. A portion of the proceeds from the SeaHope messenger bags is donated to help Bayou Grace do its important work. So earlier this year we sent $1200 to this group to help keep their community meal program going. Today I will send another check for $800 for this same purpose.

In these times it can be so easy to feel disconnected and unnoticed. As we reel towards a defining election and feel the divisions throughout our country it is my belief that these grassroots organizations–the groups “on the ground”–will be the ones who will make a big difference.

View from outside at Absolutely Art, June 2012

We were thrilled to have the SeaHope Artists’ Bags featured in the window of the Absolutely Art gallery in Madison during the month of June. Local artists were incredibly helpful and creative as they embellished beautiful bags to round out the offering. Wow! What a show!

Our audience is larger than just the Madison area, however, and it’s exciting to add many of these awesome bags to the SeaHope site so everyone can see them. Take a look, pick one out! These bags are one of a kind so when they’re gone, they’re gone. These bags are so varied, from understated and soft to fun and colorful…there’s something for everyone.

Our deepest thanks to the many artists who stepped forward to help, to Meghan and her crew at Absolutely Art, and to all of you who are our partners in mending communities.

Bayou Grace is a grassroots organization whose mission is stated as follows: Bayou Grace addresses the most critical and immediate needs of residents of the 5 Bayous in Lower Terrebonne Parish, LA to give renewed strength to the community and to mobilize residents in advocacy for the environmental health of their communities.

The Sewing Machine Project/SeaHope recognizes the wonderful efforts of this group as they mend their community. This donation is earmarked to assist with the community meals, orchestrated by Bayou Grace, which bring community residents together and give them a venue and a voice to mend their community.

Loss Talk also helps groups come together to talk about death or suicide or bankruptcy. Believing the deep down, we’re all connected and these issues all touch on one another, these groups strengthen the members and also the community, making it more resilient when future issues arise.

We are working with Loss Talk to explore ways in which we can work together to heal and mend communities.

And then–Eureka!–it came to us!! How about asking artists to design one-of-a-kind bags?? And the Artists’ Series was born.

So we’ve asked artists in the Gulf and around the country to design these special bags. They might be painted, they might be beaded…we’re leaving the artistry to the artists!  As the bags are completed, we’ll feature them in an online gallery on the SeaHope site where they’ll be available for purchase. Yes, they’ll be significantly more expensive than the other bags but they’ll be one of a kind art pieces.

So stay tuned…the awesome messenger bags and the Artists’ Bags are on their way!

The first round of bags has been delivered to the sewing contractor and there was an audible sigh of relief…

The SeaHope Partners website is just days away from being finished…

And it’s finally almost time to begin ordering bags…

And we have other surprises in the works for down the road…

So prepare yourselves…

THE BAGS ARE COMING!

(In case you’re wondering…that thing in the picture is a “Telltail”…used for gauging wind direction when sailing…just one of the possible details that might be on a bag…)