“No matter how it is expressed, charitable
giving should relate to your brand, and
always support brand values.”
for Jenefer Palmer, founder of the
seaweed-based oSEa malibu Skincare
line, the issue became intensely
personal when her malibu home and
all of its contents were lost to a forest
fire.
“i never considered myself overly
attached to physical things, but when
we lost our family home, i was devas-
tated,” Palmer shared. “it was my
daughter, melissa, who sparked the
idea to give back to our community. as
i thought about it, for the first time i
started to feel a sense of calm flow
through me. it was a gift to be able to
step outside of myself.”
They decided to donate profits for
three key shopping days last
Watercolor inn spa donated to relief efforts after
hurricane michael last fall.
november to Woolsey fire victims.
“Taking action was healing for me
on so many levels,” Palmer said.
When your neighbors need you, you
don’t hesitate, agreed Gabrielle Testa,
resort General manager at the
Watercolor inn Spa, part of the St. Joe
club & resorts family, which to date
has donated more than a million
dollars and thousands of meals toward
northwest florida’s recovery from last
year’s hurricane michael. Watercolor
inn Spa, located in Santa rosa Beach,
florida, was itself affected by
hurricane michael, and Testa said the
company flew into action immediately
after the storm.
“We had staff in the affected areas,
we had communities in the affected
areas, there was a need for quick
action,” said Testa.
initially it activated an effort that
served thousands of meals to survivors,
but that was just the beginning. The
company’s corporation foundation
pledged $1 million to relief efforts the
day after the storm. Working with
community leaders, they identified the
greatest and most immediate needs. To
date, grants ranging from $10,000 to
$100,000 have been awarded to a variety
of groups, including those dedicated to
helping deputies who lost their homes
to the storm and those that help
children, among many others.
While major disasters call for
special response, one of the smartest,
easiest ways to give back is to incor-
porate charitable service within your
regular work.
Spa Director allison Lomax, of Spa
anjali at the Westin riverfront resort
and Spa (nestled among the slopes of
colorado’s Vail Valley) said they
partner with a local cancer treatment
center to provide massage, facial and
the spa at Kilaga springs recently organized a fundraiser for a local elementary school.
APriL
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