Mission statement

Gems for Gems provides empowerment, strength, a sense of community and hope to women in need.  Through our community outreach programs, these women are shown a beacon of light through which inspiration and motivation may be ignited to remove them from their current state.

Vision statement

Gems for Gems vision is a future filling lives of women in need not only with hope but with the tools to create lasting change through education.

“Nothing changes, if nothing changes.” -C.P. Sennett

There are lots of opportunities to get involved and they will only grow as our ranks do. Please check out the tab ‘Join the Team’ to learn more about this, or click this link

Why it began;

Inspiration that began the movement.

the Christmas jewelry drive etc

Gems for Gems began as a Christmas jewelry drive in which the women of Calgary donate their gently used jewelry. It is packaged up and brought to the women of Calgary who reside in shelters over the Christmas season.

What inspired this idea was the fact that there are so many programs for the children in these situations (as it should be of course) but nothing for the mothers who often can’t remember when they last bought themselves a pair of socks let alone anything ‘extravagant’….

When I was growing up, my mother had to do almost everything alone. A lot of time was spent trying to make our existence as magical a childhood as possible by rubbing the two pennies she had together and hoping for the best.

One year my brother, sister and I pooled our money together, (this amounted to about $50) went out and bought her most beautiful thing we could afford. It was an antique looking bracelet with clear, tiny gemstones encrusted throughout.

When Mum opened it on Christmas Day she beamed, put it on and wore it the whole day. After this, every time Mum wore it, she put on make up, did her hair and wore her best…. it was as if this tiny thing reconnected her with being a woman and how important and loved she was. All she had been focused on for years was being a life source to us three.

When I was thinking of the women in the shelters this personal experience came to mind and I thought about how great it would be if I could give that feeling to each woman in a similar spot as my Mum, the boost it gave her by reconnecting them with being a woman and by letting them know they have not been forgotten. Thus, Gems for Gems was born!

Last year I gave these gifts from the women of Calgary to over 450 women in the Calgary shelters. It was very well received and I am so excited to do it again and for the foreseeable future!

We have now grown to hosting motivational events open to all women to promote women coming together and experiencing the empowerment and magic that is so readily available when passionate, open-minded women come together!

Thanks again to all of you for supporting this venture!

Sincerely,

Jordan Guildford”