Care Package Program
Custom Handbags
Artisan Jewelry
Custom Photo Jewelry
Art Greeting Cards
Home and Office
Books, Music & DVD
Gift Certificate

Loving Care Gifts started when I had to find a way to support my good friend, Carol, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Having received a diagnosis of breast cancer myself 8 years earlier (and being cancer-free and thriving for as many years), I felt almost as devastated as Carol did. I really wanted to give Carol something meaningful and something lasting that each time Carol looked at it she would know how much she was loved. I searched and searched for a gift. But the truth was, an ordinary gift wouldn't do. Not this time.

So I decided to have a handbag custom-made for her, with beautiful fabrics and stylish detail. My friends, Lisa and Marla, are artists who design and hand make the bags. They can scan a personal photograph onto fabric and incorporate that into the purse. They also can add a poem, blessing or inspirational words and place this personalized message on the inside pocket. The only thing I thought was missing was if it would have been possible to donate a portion of the price of the bag to breast cancer research in one easy step.

When I gave it to my friend, she gasped and stood up, dropping everything that was in her lap! She was so moved and so emotional that she had received a gift that would always remind her of my love and support. When I saw her reaction, I realized then that I might not be the only one looking for just such a gift.

When someone we love is going through a challenging time it can be quite a struggle for us too. We sometimes do not know how to deal with the situation, what to say or what to do. We sometimes need help to show how much we really care. We want to give just the right gift that tells our loved one how much they mean to us, and how much we support them. Loving Care Gifts offers help when an ordinary gift won't do.

In the larger world view, in my thinking, it is very difficult to separate ourselves into islands of selfishness, and ignore those who are suffering.

I once studied to become a Zen Buddhist monk, and volunteered my time in London working with the physically and mentally handicapped. I have always had a voice inside of me inspiring me to help others. A voice I could not ignore.

Throughout my life, I discovered that I was gifted with the ability to be a "human connecter" and catalyst for many different business projects. I feel great satisfaction to bring people and events together in such a way that everyone benefits. A phrase in Japanese that I resonate so well is "Unmei Kyodotai", which means "this moment in time, we belong to the same community and a shared fate". This saying applies in both a micro and macro sense, in the small village community or in the universal sense.

With this desire to help others, I had been looking for a way to give back in a larger sense, and Loving Care Gifts serves this purpose, by providing a platform of giving that will multiply exponentially. What I like is involving those who visit our site, and through their choices of non-profits, we multiply the impact of their donation with others of like minds. In my spare time, I also enjoy American politics, Zen meditation, having dinner parties for friends, gardening, and collecting Japanese ceramics.