Camas, WA
In October of 2018, Jake and Lovely Laban, the founders of Skin by Lovely, were sitting in the audience at an annual awards conference in Phoenix Arizona. There, in that auditorium, they learned of a non-profit organization. Their mission; “to help bring clean and safe water to every person on the planet.” Scott Harrison, founder, and CEO of charity: water, spoke to the crowd of his life story, from sole caretaker of his sick mother to a New York Club promoter. Harrison decided one day he had finally had enough of the parties, alcohol, and nightlife. He sold everything he owned, started volunteer work in Liberia, and changed the trajectory of his life forever. His decision would ultimately change millions of lives.
Through Harrison’s volunteer work throughout the world, he quickly learned just how significant our global water crisis is. In fact, “785 million people lack basic access to clean and safe drinking water.” Seeing the water pandemic firsthand became his “why” behind the founding of charity: water in 2006. With its headquarters located on the Lower Westside of Manhattan, charity: water has funded approximately 78,350 water projects within 29 countries.
When Jake Laban was looking for a charity to partner with, he wanted one that resonated with Skin by Lovely’s core values. “What was so impressive was the transparency and accountability that charity: water displayed. We were looking for an organization that really lived up to our core value of making a difference in the world. What Scott and his team are doing is true charity”. Frequently, the women and girls located in countries lacking clean water will walk hundreds of miles to find water for their families. In fact, women spend an estimated 200 million hours daily collecting water.
This was eye-opening for Laban as he felt, “a partnership with charity: water is very much a women’s rights issue. This will make a fundamental difference in people’s lives, and most importantly, improve the lives of young girls who no longer will have to hike hours a day to fill cans with putrid water for their villages. These girls will be able to pursue an education, build skills, and drink clean water that will nurse their bodies and help them become leaders in their communities.”
Jake and Lovely Laban had an idea. A day where 100% of profits earned in the office would be donated to charity: water. A day solely devoted to serving others. With the help of every employee, they set a goal to raise enough to build ten wells with hand pumps throughout the Ntcheu region of Malawi Africa.
On April 25th, 2019, Skin By Lovely teams gathered together and set intentions for the day. Hannah Scamehorn, the licensed advanced esthetician in the Northwest Office, has not forgotten how it felt to be there that day.
“The energy was pretty exciting. You could feel that everyone was proud to be serving a greater purpose. To know that something that we were doing in Oregon was going to make a difference on the other side of the world!” The day was bustling with patients excited to partake in the day as they knew that through their voluntary aesthetic treatments, they would also be benefiting those who lack the basic human need of clean water.
“I love working for a company that is able to implement positive change through our work with charity: water, “says Bre Puddifoot, who was the first Skin by Lovely Oregon employee seven years ago. “We all had an amazing day! Seeing the wells be built brought me so much joy.”
Mea Oliver, is excited for the future of Skin by Lovely as this day changed so many lives. “We were given the privilege to be part of a legacy that will touch generations to come. I love seeing our company core values lived out and it’s just so rewarding to be a part of it.”
Skin by Lovely raised $130,639, far exceeding expectations. By exceeding all goals, Skin by Lovely was able to fund 16 wells, which is 6 more than anticipated. Our donation was part of a 1,250,000 commitment that funded 161 projects and brought clean water to 63,973 people.
