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CONTACT: Aubrey Cornelius
303.495.2883
aubrey@sprocketcommunications.com
LOVING CARE GIFTS SELLS UNIQUE ARTISAN GOODS,
DONATES TO CHARITY IN ONE EASY TRANSACTION
New Shopping Site Creates Mindful Online Shopping Experience
"Giving connects two people, the giver and the receiver, and this connection gives birth to a new sense of belonging." -- Deepak Chopra
(DENVER) - Touched by a friend's reaction to a personalized gift and fulfilling a lifelong goal of creating a truly altruistic business, Denver couple Yasu Kizaki and Elizabeth Montana launched Loving Care Gifts (www.lovingcaregifts.com) in November 2007. Loving Care Gifts is an online shopping site that sells personalized artisan gifts and donates to charity with one easy transaction.
The concept behind Loving Care Gifts came to fruition when Montana was searching for a way to support a good friend diagnosed with breast cancer. Having beaten cancer herself many years earlier, Montana wanted to give her friend a meaningful and lasting gift that best reflected her love, caring and support.
"When someone we love is going through a challenging time it can be quite a struggle for us too," said Montana. "We may not know how to deal with the situation, what to say or what to do. Sometimes we 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."
Montana had a handbag custom-made for her friend that featured beautiful details, personal photographs scanned onto the fabric and incorporated into the design as well as an inspirational message on the inside pocket.
"When I gave it to my friend, she gasped and stood up, dropping everything in her lap," said Montana. "She was so moved 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 such a gift."
Similarly, Kizaki, a fixture in Denver's culinary scene and co-founder of Sushi Den, co-founded Loving Care Gifts as a means to help fulfill his lifelong passion for giving. Kizaki once studied to become a Buddhist monk and lived in London for many years volunteering with the physically and mentally handicapped. He says he's always had a voice inside of him inspiring him to help others--a voice he could not ignore.
"Loving Care Gifts is unique in that everyone associated with the business benefits," said Kizaki. "The artisans receive enhanced exposure; the charities receive a new, ongoing revenue stream; the purchaser can choose from a selection of truly amazing items and feel good about donating to a charity; the recipient receives a meaningful gift; and the more gifts purchased, the more donations are made, which satisfies a personal goal of ours."
Ten percent of every sale is donated to the purchaser's charity of choice with comprehensive donations made each fiscal quarter. Currently the company is affiliated with the Children's Hospital Foundation, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen and the MS Society, though Kizaki and Montana are constantly working to expand this list.
Loving Care Gifts sells custom handbags, artisan and photo jewelry, art greeting cards, chocolate, personalized comfort blankets, gift certificates and much more. The price range varies as well with products available for under $30 to more than $120. Kizaki and Montana network through artist friends and scour trade shows, trunk shows, art festivals and online sources to find products for the website. They choose artists who can produce high quality, unique gifts and offer many one-of-a-kind items.
Loving Care Gifts is about to launch its "Pay It Forward" blog to encourage others to post personal experiences relating how small acts of kindness have impacted their lives. Kizaki and Montana hope this space will create a domino effect, inspiring others to partake in small acts of kindness each day.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please visit www.lovingcaregifts.com or call
866.434.7714. For media inquiries, please contact Aubrey Cornelius at 303.495.2883 or aubrey@sprocketcommunications.com.
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