makepiece

Make Piece ~~ designing creative pathways to living wages for every family.

Make Piece/Peace, Inc. was established in 2001 to model living wage projects for low-income workers. It obtained 501(c)(3) status under rules that recognize business activity as a key element of its exempt purpose to promote livable wages. We offer a free training program in which clients (the majority thus far, African American women living below the poverty line and groups of at-risk teens) are taught creative jewelry-making using high quality components; entrepreneurship principles; and life skills, including financial literacy. When matching funds are available, grads also may start Individual Development Accounts to help finance a business, a home or further education. With our grads, we operate a small jewelry business through which participants expand their technical and business experience while earning pay at a living wage rate using their new skills. We also provide mentoring to those starting their own jewelry or other small business. From time to time, we also provide stand-alone financial literacy for adults, teens and pre-teens (using age-appropriate curricula) and teach jewelry techniques as a form of therapeutic enhancement. We have been designated by the Catalogue for Philanthropy as 'one of the best' small charities in the Washington, DC region

We are ~~ making art :: changing lives.