Our Mission
Accessories of Change
Gracia works with girls and young women who were born into families of multi-generational poverty: some have been abused and/or abandoned; all are trauma survivors. Without income or employable skills, the girls and young women are without resources to create change.
Enter Gracia. With Gracia’s help, the young women of the Milagros Workroom learn to create and market their beautifully crafted products. Products are sold, income is earned and confidence grows. They move away from the uncertainty of their past and toward a more secure future. Products that change lives: Accessories of Change.
Making Milagros
The Jewelry
Tradition: Drawing upon the Central and South American tradition of ex-votos (votive offerings) and djies (charms), Milagros are gifts, often given with the intention of promises fulfilled or prayers needed: possibly the healing of an illness; a celebration of a birth; or the deepening of a friendship.
Unique: Milagros designs integrate the traditional with the contemporary, and each handcrafted design is unique. Milagros jewelry is made from pure silver, which gives them their brilliance. The pieces are created by artisan plateras (silversmiths) in the Milagros Workroom. These plateras are continuing the unique tradition of handcrafting milagros while many others are turning to imported or machine-made jewelry. Every piece is created individually, crafted in silver, without casting, stamps, or molds. Uncoated, vegetable-dyed leather, sterling silver findings, and semi-precious stones are also used.
Wearing Milagros: The jewelry is meant to be worn in layers, stacked or singly. Our designs transition easily, dressed up or down, worn day or night. Most importantly, every piece carries of Milagros’ jewelry carries the pure silver fingerprint of the young woman who made it. The fingerprints of the Milagros artisans are dijes of gratitude, representing thanks to those helping the artisans create better lives for themselves.
Elida
Education
Emili
Chief Operating Officer
Erica
Production
Ilma
Design
Maria
Quality Control
Rosaura
Sales
Sucely
Leadership and Apprentice Training
Yasmin
Human Resources
Elida
Education
Emili
Chief Operating Officer
Erica
Production
Ilma
Design
Maria
Quality Control
Rosaura
Sales
Sucely
Leadership and Apprentice Training
Yasmin
Human Resources
The Impact of Your Purchase
Gracia and the Milagros Workroom
The artisan adds her fingerprint to each piece of Milagros Jewelry. The Fingerprint is a dije of gratitude, representing thanks to those helping her to create a better life.
All sales revenues are reinvested in Gracia’s program, funding salaries, workroom operating expenses, and creating income for Casa Hogar.
