GIRLS'BIZ History

   
 

   

Read a Wisconsin State Journal article about the H.O.P.E Company    

 

   

      The D.R.E.A.M. Co. sold from our product survey: Divine Chocolate (fair trade), Just Coffee (fair trade)
and Nasra's Scarves. We also created squares of art to make the decal to decorate our black tote bags.
At the end of the year, the girls chose shopping in Milwaukee and giving to six charities!

The group gave $1100 divided between the following charities: Nothing but Nets (provides mosquito nets
to fight malaria), Rainbow Project (helping Madison children up to age 12 who have suffered abuse),
Gio's Garden (Respite center for families of kids with disabilities in Middleton), Rape Crisis Center (Madison)
Heifer International, Half the Sky (provides training and support for workers in Chinese orphanages).

WWE Southcentral generously matched these donations!
 

  
  The Y.E.S. Company sold Pakistani spices by White Jasmine, bath products by LuSa Organics and Gail Ambrosius
  chocolate sauce packets. They donated to Smile Train  (to correct a child's cleft palate), the Dane County
Humane Society and The Breast Cancer Recovery Foundation. The group chose an 
overnight trip to the Wilderness waterpark in the Dells and money for shopping at the outlet mall.

 
Las Chicas, GIRLS'BIZ 2007-2008, sold scented soy candles from La Bougie. Their $500 donation supported a family of AIDS orphans in Africa for a year through African Youth Outreach,  and their second donation went to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The girls enjoyed an overnight in the Dells and money for shopping in May.

2006-2007

The GEM Company
(Girls Making Money)

   
 The girls donated the profits from their charity breakfast to the Breast Cancer Recovery Foundation, Inc.

2005-2006

NorthStar Gift Company

 
The NorthStar Gift Company sold hand painted clay pins and ornaments, holiday decorative items,
bags of fine chocolate snowmen and fleece blankets and scarves for their holiday line. In the spring,
these ambitious girls sold hand painted flower pots with live plants and silk flower pens, stemmed glass charms, handmade soaps in painted dishes and two pewter items made by an artist in California. In February, 2006,
they generously donated $1000 to the Bill Jordan Wildlife Defense Fund, USA, an organization which rescues
and rehabilitates elephants and rhinos in Africa and India. In May, 2006, the girls rented a cool condo unit
at a water park motel in Wisconsin Dells for themselves, five adults and three siblings. The next week
the girls went shopping in Madison with the remaining profit.

2004-2005

Red, White & True
the Star Spangled Girls Gift Company

 

The Star Spangled Girls' Gift Company sold several seasonal decorative items in the fall/winter,
and sold Lucky Bamboo plants and jars of layered scented bath salts in the spring. They made a gift
of $750 to the Red Cross Tsunami Relief fund (which was matched by another donor!) and used the remaining profit to treat themselves and their mothers to hotel, dinner and shopping at Ikea and Woodfield Mall,
near Chicago.

2003-2004

The GB Alums Book Company

The GB Alums Book Company decorated holiday candles and assisted in writing a draft of the
GIRLS'BIZ Tool Kit and Curriculum and in learning about obtaining funding to finance the publication of the book.

2002-2003

The Starlight Company

 
The Starlight Company made classy aprons from holiday dishtowels as part of our holiday gift baskets.
We sewed and stuffed microwaveable rice neck packs, and flax seed eye pillows for a spring relaxation gift set. Our trip was to the Art Institute, shopping in Chicago and Gurney Mills and a two-night stay at a motel.
We gave $100 to the Rape Crisis Center.

2001-2002

Thinking of You, the Girls' Gift Company

 
Thinking of You, the Girls' Gift Company created metal, wire and bead tree ornaments for
holiday gift baskets, and made scented soaps Mother's Day gift sets. That year we drove to the Mall
of America, stayed one night at a motel, did lots of shopping and gave $200 to the Ronald MacDonald House.

1999-2000

The Dragonfly Company

 
The Dragonfly Company created six lines of handmade jewelry. With the profit, we stayed
overnight at a motel with an indoor water park at Wisconsin Dells.

1998-1999

GEKO Co.
(Girl Entrepreneurs Knowing Opportunity)

The GEKO Company created holiday baskets, Mother's Day candles and painted flowerpots filled with ivy.
With the profit, we went to the Mall of America in Minneapolis, and spent the night at a suite motel.

1997-1998 GIRLS'BIZ

  
GIRLS' BIZ met Olympic athlete Jackie Joyner Kersee at the WWE-SC tenth anniversary celebration
at the Monona Terrace in Madison, WI. The girls created gift baskets for Valentines Day and Mother's Day.
With the profit, we rented a van and drove to the Illinois amusement park Six Flags for the day.
We drove home in a thunderstorm with lots of lightening bolts!

1996-1997 GIRLS'BIZ

  
GIRLS' BIZ created custom tee shirts with cool iron-on designs. With the profit, we went out for pizza!