CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A Charlottetown boutique will launch its new clothing line at the end of the month and will donate some of the proceeds towards a local women’s shelter.
JEMS Boutique’s will be hosting its Go2 spring/summer 2019 launch party March 30 and will donate 20 per cent of all Go2 sales made that day in-store to Blooming House, P.E.I.’s only women’s shelter.
JEMS co-owner Julia Campbell (who owns the store with her mother, Maureen), said they have been fundraising for various organizations since the shop opened its doors in 2008.
The Go2 clothing launch fundraisers started in JEMS five years ago, when the mother-daughter duo launched their first clothing collection.
“It’s very important for us to give back locally because our business relies on local clientele,” Campbell told The Guardian.
In the past, the owners have fundraised for Anderson House, Island Mothers Helping Mothers, Sharing the Microphone and Canadian Mental Health Association – P.E.I. division.
“We are a mother-daughter woman team and there is definitely a sensitivity to wanting to help support our demographic however we can,” Campbell said, adding the goal is to donate at least $1,500 to Blooming House.
“Our mission is to help empower women. Meeting the basic requirements of living is a challenge for some Islanders and having access to an organization like Blooming house can make or break women and their families.”
Campbell believes it is important to donate to not-for-profit organizations and said it keeps Islanders unified as a community, “and unified communities thrive”.
Blooming House, which was co-founded by Liz Corney and Brynn Devine, opened its doors at the end of January to help meet a need in the community.
Corney, who said Blooming House has been a “passion project” for them, said she was pleased when Campbell reached out about the fundraiser.
“It’s been amazing seeing the women reach out to us and help us in our endeavour. For us, it’s really a women-helping-women thing. We’re so thankful for them for offering to do that for us.”
- Liz Corney
“It’s been amazing seeing the women reach out to us and help us in our endeavour. For us, it’s really a women-helping-women thing,” she said. “We’re so thankful for them for offering to do that for us.”
Since the end of January, Corney said they’ve had 12 unique women as guests – many of whom have stayed repeatedly on multiple occasions.
“For us, we budgeted an eight-bed facility. The fact that we’ve had 12 speaks directly to the need,” she said. “It was a service that was lacking, and we’re hoping to fill that right now.”
The Go2 spring/summer launch is open to the public and takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at JEMS Boutique (102 A Queen St.). Along with donating some of the proceeds from the day, there will also be raffle tickets available in-store for a chance to win a $150 Go2 Clothing gift card where 100 per cent of the proceeds going to Blooming House.
“It’s going to be a really fun day with amazing energy,” Campbell said.
More information can be found online at jemsboutique.ca, on Facebook or Instagram.
