Meet Eleanor

 Meet Eleanor

Hi! I’m Eleanor and I'm one of the interns at Shopping for a Change this summer. I am a rising junior and I have loved fashion ever since I graduated from dressing my American Girl Dolls to dressing myself. As soon as I saw the opening at Shopping for a Change, I knew I wanted to work here. Help impoverished women in third world countries just by shopping? It doesn’t get much better than that. I love how much you can help the world “just” by adding a new accessory to your closet. While the products are pretty darn cool, I am still continually amazed by the stories of resilience and strength I read and hear when learning about the women who participate in their creation. I have been having a blast with the SFAC team and I hope we can continue to do great work this summer! 

Favorite item of clothing? Dresses! You can throw one on and instantly look chic, without having to go through the difficulties of matching a top with bottoms. 

Favorite Gem? Sapphires--they’re my birthstone and I love their deep blue color. 

Favorite SFAC Product? I love the Glass Beaded Bracelets by Same Sky. Same Sky bracelets are created by women in Rwanda, many of whom are affected by HIV/AIDS. Not only are the bracelets made out of gorgeous hand blown glass, but also the purchase of a bracelet provides a year of health care for an HIV+ artisan. I have my eye on the Honeysuckle color, as I have a penchant for pink! 

Fondest Travel Memory? My fondest travel memory would have to be from a family trip to Italy a few summers ago. We had been in Venice for about half a day and, after settling in our hotel, decided to do some exploring. We walked along the waterfront and happened upon a church and a statue of a boy holding a frog. The clouds had been threatening rain all afternoon and they finally let loose when we were deciding to head back. Not knowing how long the storm would last, and knowing we hadn’t strayed too far from our hotel, we decided to make run for it, and hope we didn’t get too wet. As we were literally running, stopping occasionally under bridges and shop overhangs, I noticed that we were in the minority--most people were simply standing under our rest stops, waiting for the storm to pass. This proved to be the prudent strategy; as soon as the sign of our hotel was in sight, the rain stopped. Every member of my family was absolutely drenched, but at least we got to experience speeding through Venice in the rain!