Laporan
Pertemuan
dengan
Pendiri dan Presiden Five
Accessories,
serta laporan
Artikel berjudul:
"$5 a foundation for change"
pada suratkabar Chicago
T r i b u n e
Disampaikan
oleh: Konsulat
Jenderal Rl C H ICAGO
Ms, Christine Hutchison, sebagai
pendiri dan presiden
perusahaan
Five
Accessories
telah bertemu
dengan
I Made Kitchen,
yang menjadikan
inspirasi
bagi perusahannya.
lkutilah
ceritanya
yang dilaporkan
oleh Konsulat
Jenderal
R l
d i C H I C A G O d i b a w a h i n i . . . . .
t. Konsui Muda Ekonomi telah mengadakan
perlemuan dengan Ms. Christine Hutchison,
pendiri dan presiden pada psrusahaan Frve Access@es pada had Jumat tarEgal 25 Januari
2008. Peftsmuan
ini dimaksudkan
untuk menjajagi
kemungkinan
kerrasama
promosi
produk
kerajinan Indonesia terutama yang berkaitan dengan aksesods, seperti tas, selendang,
gelang,
kalung dll- Sebagai
catatan:
Five Accessorr'es
merupakan
s€buah
perusahaan
yang
b€rgerak
dalam retail aksesodes
yang didirikan
sekilar 2 tahun yang lalu di kota Chicago.
Informasi
lebih
lanjut
mongenai
Frve
Accasso.res dapat
diporol€h
dari
www.fi
veaccessories.com
Saat
ini perusahaan
F;iye
Accessol'res
berupaya
untuk
melebarkan
usahanya
dan molakukan
diversifikasi
produk. Five Accessories
selama
inl lelah m€njual
produk-produk
yang uerasai
dad Bali (lndonesia),
Guatomala,
dan Honduras.
Ms. HLricrrison
merlat pasii ns untrt
produktroduk aksgsoris dari bahan slami ini mssih cukup menjanjian terutama oengan
besarnya kep€dulian masyarakat AS lerhsdap lingkungan den kelnginan untuk go groer.
Solanjutnya masyarakat juga t€rdorong unfuk membgrikan dukungan isrhadap perusanaan_
perusahaan yar€
-memiliki kep€dulian sosi€l sohingga fenomena fa,i. trsde berkembang
crikup p€sat di AS. Fiv€ Accessories saat ini sedang dalam pros€s untuk mendapatka;
sertifikesi fair trado.
Menanggapi upaya peduasan perusahaan tejt,
fami memueritan gega6an kspada Frve
Accesso.ies unfuk memperluas cakupan jenis prodok kerajinan dari daerahjaerah lain di
Indonesia
yang mgmlliki
keunikan
masingflasing. Konsul Muda Ekonoml akan melakukan
presenlasi
dengenai kerajinan
langan di Indonesia
di depan pimpinan Fiyg Accessorigs
pada kesempalan
p€rtama,
?:","T?:911r! 91Y9, l:.":h:9n inr mendapatkan
pemberitaan
yane
cukup
menon
ol
oan Deoerapa
media tokat. Selain di Chicago Tribuhe. Ms. nr_rictriJon
1u9a beOjgi
pengalaman
pendirian
perusahaan
dimaksud
pada stasiun
televisi
NBC, AB6,-suratkabar
Chicago
Sun-Times,
Metromix/Chicago,
serta
malalah
AmericanW;y
aun i..iipt..".
M".
:i]:l'"_:1,::19".S^b9^rpaya
untuk dapar tampit di Oprah Winftey Show unruk m€nggwah
rrlrnat
puortK
dr AS dan di seluruh
dunia untuk peduli terhadap
masyarakat
yang KurarE
beruntung. Sementrara
itu Ms. Hutchison.iuga
berkeinginan
untuk mengund'ang
t UaOe
$5 a foundation
for change
-5pe.a to th€ nibhe:,trA chance
encounter
two
yearc
.aso while honemoonins ih ;BaI spurred Ctnstine Hui.hr ison lo launch a company rhat ;yodd male a ditrerencc while lqal<rgmoney
l,:lHutchison launched an im lptrt businss that s ives back $s. [lq_r every handbag purchased, i.4Jter she md her husbard. lwrlls. becme acquatnted witbt i ltlade Kjchen, a Aalnese touj : tEtide who told tlem how dec- , !e{es ea ef an Amerjcar cou : l!!e had chaheed bis liie by send. I
ffi.1ili:::T""L'fi*""*i
trttsaction
oftbar in tbo U.S.,
rhe i
{rrbney paid for Kicben
s educa-
,
'.gon. paving the way forNs ca-_teeras atourguide. l ' -'It
wa3 bts story and tbat act' of cood karma ttrat lnslircd usl to sLart a business ahd Doten-lially change tbe Ufe ofone per-son out there at a tIDe',, said . HutchisoB foubder arld lresi-dent of rive Accessories. which donates to foundations in ttre ar. eas wh€r€ the impoded PIod-ucu; ongurarc.
In 18 months, the company has sold Eore than 1,500 hand.; bags, domtiis $5 ftdn each. plus 15 percent of sales fio!1l other items. Kichen haii becohe Hutchisoo s bujineies larther ' and tne company employs six I while HutchisoD s personal experience is unique, the con. . cept or smatl busjnesss work-irig to improve the rives of oth:.] e6 through cherrable coDEi. butions is wldespread od, srowing, experts said. Contri. butions go up duing the holi. drvs, but bEinesses tncres-ingly ar€ supportinS cause! rh rcugho!t the year.
In part, it's because consum-ers ir.reast4ly are takiEg ar mleresl in contr,ajes'socia.l r+ spoBibliry. so the prdss$e is' ionbusinessesto sive back, said Meussa Brcwn, ass@iate diEc-',tor
of reseerch at the Center on ,PhUarth-ropy at lndiana Unj.
rersi ty jn Indjanapolis.
" "Consomers
and emllovecs . ALhe rcaliy valuc senuine char-'jl;ble
activjties on the lart of j,cqnpanics," Brolrr sa.ld. ,,I _,.Sould argue if acomlary is in any position at a11, it's leally ' good businels to do soberhrs
tjirchaiiry '.lj
:A.lthouch maior corpomtlons '.{requenuy ha,"€ prograr$ for'ghaiitable sivine,smallef tums ,bften are tuore cniauve and
bore hahds,on in the ways thei . conEibutq she sajd. '
;"" Chdities rlemseh?s @ b€. ;gin i.s to realize while cash ,s 'an
imlDrtant resoue. therc ale other thinBs sma.ll business. .es can heip with,' such as
in-Iind doMlions ald volunte€r-'irlg,Brown
!aid.
, Irtty Hudson, pr€sident of rrarldii Pa*-based Chicaeo -Mini Bus TEvel, with 43
e;-blo!€€s and mor€ tha S3 mit-'lion
in amual rewnue, Fcenuy donated a minibus and holped bn heNelf to de]lve! Chist|llas , pres€nts to children at Dulase '
County hospitals.
: "Hudson alsoprovides luses at '?r dbcounted rate twice nontbly
to shuttle tearns of volurte€rs '
building homes throuch Habi tatfor Hwnanity. a not.forprofit chdity with severa-l lraches :in the Chicaso area.'That pro.
.gran inspired her to bring her 'oM
team of 15 emplot€€s out to blrUd a home this fau.
" "It made them awaE ofwanl '
ing to hel! other people ed ger. ting back to the basics of rhe shdins oflife, as opposed to the : dnstdt rirt Eae-we reii.." shs
said. "l want to go back."
(omm[dty-bared
.f f ort5
T]"icany smal,busjless os'ners suppo.t causes 0rat are m some way near and d€ar to rnem, expe.ts said."Often,
the rnotivarion i! siv-ing bacl to rhe cotmutv whetler it be sulporri;c schoor5, Litue LeaBrre or a lo€l ih8rity sald J. PaEick MurDhv diftctor of tle Schoot of ltiri: Sewice at DePau.l UniveNitv "It's
the tshg nde rajses ail boat!. ... h nakes for a bener sG
crety and ftat benefirs
everv-^€atherDe Lee. president
of
wL ano AssocBies, a trainins a]ld. manasemeordeveloDmenl @nsuttbc frm ir BerfiBton. nerped to raech rhe Women s U€nter in Artu8lon Heishts. wbich offels ibmisrant qo-me; trarning in Erlst ish ud combur er skills. The imFerus sFm;ed pady from l4e s own upbrhs-Dgi'vlr'e above her polbh and xussran inni€rart grald-par-€nts rn crand Rap.L, Mich. r remember beina embe_ Iissed when I was s€ven that my grardlarenrs spoke wirl such tnrck accenis, sbesaid. -Irhas rcary dnven me to helo. ^ Irstead-of givtng cift baskers rcr me nondays, small busiress o-wtler Shira Wachtel males a donatioh in bonor of her clienlr to the Metissa Institute for ViG lence PreventioD in Flortda.il"tiii{'"';i,:tr
"tr**.::
Melissa Aptrnan, was mudered ul a random carjacking tr sr. rnurs in 1995, two weeks beioF the wom€n's crailuaUon ft.om l4asbing&D University
' _A r5ttuber of rn,i ctienrs 1isi }!d ldrore ro me, saying they rerr rr was rhe best gift I cou.ld nave given this tihe of vear..' said Wacbtel, president orI}iui-um Creative, a Chicago narket. _ mg corDm@ tcations and
sraDh-ic design rrm.
A m€riage ot help i i Sendirg a positive messaee ard helpins 4 cbar.iiy ar &e sam€ lime is the conceot behind Mundelein-based Hearfelt charity Calds, onlre.ar Chali. tycards.com. Businesses setecr
Surat
Kabar
Chicago
Tribune.
Senin
2.l Desenrber
1007
€I€eting cards to send, ahd r0_ lercent of rbe sale benetrs a: charity of their choice. o&rer Nicki Scbun said"It's
a way to.Cive back tluoush a puchase;;u r;
u u u q s r r d p u L r 6 e y o u r e g o ,
rne toma,re anlvay, she said. l Besides holid.y cdds. tho;
Besides holiday cdds, tho;
ents, thanking them for their
ousrness
or telling them .We,!r
mrssed
you,
"
Scbuh
Eaid
Sales have be€n gowinA m
peftent io g0 perceni annuallyl
ror severat
!ca$, fthuh said. [o
the point wher€ Hearfelt Cb;rl.
!y Clrds doublsd
iLr onc€ ard
orsErbuUon sDace when it Etc cated to Munddeh h AuEust. Client firrbs generall; Dick hom a lisr of causes that Haart-rert nas reseaFhed through Jusr.irve.ory, a non.prollr that s€rves as a resoue on char.i-l qes ro ensur€ that lnost of the l rnoney the chartries raise go€s ro rcctprents. But corDpanies a,so rcquest cawes rhey specifi. cary supFort. S.huh said
I bfted.cor,npanfea
rale aa
i;-i ter€st i;-itr a cause
rhat b direcdv
jrerat€d to tr€ir bustaesi. Foi
fDaxn Tuikey pr€sident oI IHM
I ltErnodoling
Repair Contractors
r in Downers Grove, that lhe:ls
grr.lDg fi€e how{o seminfis on wlnoow.elracemeoL leoairini ' rurnrrure ard olher topics a t
Re-srore in Elgin, a 20,00csquare-rcot retaU stor€ that tunib Habi-tal tor Humadtv i
By teaching 'people bow to
uc{te basic
housebold.r€nove.
: tron projects,
Tuskey
ts:helping
rc mo!€ store merchaldise. eid D€anra Daiies, rErlrctins coor-.cuhator at Resrora Trrskev . tlra$ls a fouowins becaEe sh;
also does a radio hom+irnDroG _menr
shoq4 "your Hous; chi cago, wilb RicI Cowgin of Vi-I sroD uesBn ed Buitd Vi-Inc. The
;ilfibiffiHlda's
at noon
on
I TusleysaidneitherDrobono
jDmject hai larded a layinc
cri-: enr, out sbe isD't conce|md.
;l- "To be hone€r with ],ou, r'trt
r navuqa sr€aftime
'r she sald. ..I
iget lo take somethirs I tor€ and
:ilir&]€o!rs oD a reaxy atb.'dsuc
'
