400 Life December 2023 by Forsyth County News

400 LIFE DECEMBER 2023

MAKE YOUR HOLIDAYS SPARKLE WITH A VISIT TO

Jewelry by Selin

INSIDE: Stay healthy this winter • New kid’s boutique in Halcyon

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contents

CONTRIBUTORS Publisher Stephanie Woody Group Editor Nate McCullough

Special contributors Kimberly Bond Sudie Crouch Sabrina Kerns Kelly Whitmire

Managing Editor Michelle Hall

Photography Kala Smith Photography

Advertising Stacy Clark Meghan Hernandez Adam Schurlknight

Creative Services Claudette Keeley April Seymour Chelsea Sunshine

This magazine is a product of the

ON THE COVER:

Jewelry by Selin: Wrap up some sparkle for Christmas

400health: Staying Healthy during cold and flue season

400community: Connecting veterans in need to cellphones

400kids: New location for a local boutique

December 2023

400 LIFE

COVER SPONSOR: JEWELRY BY SELIN

Make your holidays sparkle with a visit to Jewelry by Selin

By Kimberly Bond Are you looking for a new jeweler to help you find the perfect gift this holiday season? Make sure to visit Jewelry by Selin, a family-owned and operated business in the Dawson Marketplace shopping center. Selin and Sayat Dedeoglu are the owners of Jewelry by Selin. The Dedeoglus are of Armenian descent and grew up in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city. Located on the Bosporus Strait between Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a melting pot of history and culture. Jewelry making is a tradition there that dates back thousands of years. Sayat Dedeoglu, a master diamond setter, came from a family of jewelry makers and learned the trade from them. He has been working with precious gems since he was just a child. “He is very experienced and confident in his work,” Selin said. Selin Dedeoglu is an experienced businesswoman who loves working with customers. She listens carefully to each client to help them find or create the perfect keepsake. “We are witnessing a lot of emotions over here,” Selin shared. “People are sharing their stories, their memories.” “First they become a customer, but then they become a friend,” she added. When they moved to the United States, the Dedeoglus worked 4

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COVER SPONSOR: JEWELRY BY SELIN at a jewelry wholesaler but dreamed of opening their own business. Finally, they signed a lease for their own shop - just before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the uncertainty of those times, they persevered and opened Jewelry by Selin in February 2021. Selin and Sayat worked seven days a week to get their new business off the ground during that difficult season. They gained new customers mostly through word of mouth, as happy clients showed off their beautiful new rings, necklaces, and other treasures. Their shop also offers jewelry repair, watch repair, engraving, and appraisals. Now that they are looking forward to their third anniversary, the Dedeoglus feel more comfortable and established in the area. “It was scary and it was not easy [to open during the pandemic], but now it feels like home,” said Selin. “And now we can take Sundays off,” she added with a laugh. The Dedeoglus can work from drawings or personal interviews with clients,

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COVER SPONSOR: JEWELRY BY SELIN regardless of their budget, to create special one-of-a-kind pieces. Every item comes with its own memorable story. One customer wanted a unique wedding ring incorporating children’s birthstones to celebrate their soon-to-be blended family. Another customer asked for a special remembrance ring made from her late husband’s wedding ring and her own diamond engagement ring. The Dedeoglus created a beautiful necklace for another customer that incorporated her mother’s birthstone with her heirloom diamonds. “We have so many sentimental moments over here,” said Selin. “It’s not like a retail store, it’s like a home. And for me, that is priceless.” Jewelry by Selin is located at 12 Dawson Market Way, Suite 340, in Dawsonville. It is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

400 LIFE

December 2023

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400health

Staying healthy DURING COLD & FLU SEASON

by Sudie Crouch Health & wellness columnist The season for sniffles and coughs seems to be upon us, and even though we all learned some precautions to avoid getting sick during the height of COVID, we may find ourselves letting our guard down sometimes. One of the main things we discovered over the recent years was the importance of handwashing and staying home when we’re sick. These two factors remain relevant when dealing with any illness that may be viral. Washing our hands can help us stay healthy so we don’t inadvertently spread germs we picked up from touching something. Making sure to clean surfaces that may be harboring germs is another great strategy too – cell phones, keyboards, etc. are all surfaces that we may touch regularly that can be sources of germs that we may want to make sure to clean. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends getting a flu shot to help prevent the flu; make sure to check with your medical professional to determine if you need one and to schedule if you do. There are other ways to stay healthy too during this season. SLEEP One of my favorite health tips for any time of year, but especially during cold and flu season, is getting enough sleep. When we don’t get adequate sleep, it can weaken our immunity, which can make it harder for us to fight off these illnesses. So many things can impact our sleep during this time of year - getting through the holiday hustle and bustle, stress, etc. – and when we’re not able to rest properly, it

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December 2023

makes it easier for us to make choices that don’t support our overall health. Lack of sleep can almost be the precursor to our other habits, as when we’re tired, we may reach for foods that are not nutrient dense, and when we aren’t getting all the nutrients we need, it can lower our immunity as well. And, if you do find yourself battling a cold or flu, rest is needed too. STAY HYDRATED We often hear about watching our water intake during the summer months so we don’t get dehydrated, but keeping our water intake up during the winter can help us prevent illness too. By drinking more water, it helps our mucous membranes do their job to help fight off viruses. Additionally, being adequately hydrated helps our system work properly, which means we can fight off those viruses when we encounter them more effectively. REDUCING STRESS Stress, like sleep, has a ripple effect in our health, and when we are experiencing high levels of stress, it weakens our immune system. When our body has too much cortisol, the stress hormone, coursing through it, our inflammation increases and it makes it easier for a virus or cold to enter and make us sick. And, when we have so much inflammation throughout our system, it makes it hard for us to fight off a virus when we do get sick. While a lot of the steps may seem like approaches that we take for other areas of our health, making sure to be mindful of them during this season can help us hopefully avoid getting sick this season.

December 2023

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400community

PHONE HOME:

Local charity connects military veterans with cell phones

Photos submitted by Cell Phones for Soldiers Cell Phones for Soldiers was founded by siblings Rob and Brittany Bergquist in 2004 when they were 12 and 13, respectively.

By Kelly Whitmire kwhitmire@forsythnews.com A Forsyth County-based non-profit is working to keep veterans who are facing homelessness connected with the world. Located on Commerce Boulevard in south Forsyth County, Cell Phones for Soldiers has been collecting devices and other ways for overseas soldiers to call home for nearly 20 years, and now, the group is aiming to provide smartphones for U.S. veterans facing homelessness. “It keeps the conversation going and it makes sure that those veterans, 10

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don’t fall back into a situation that they were previously in, and it allows for the dialogue to continue between that non-profit or that military support group and that veteran,” said cofounder Rob Bergquist. “So, we’re really just trying to bridge that communication gap with the veterans and all the resources that a veteran might need whether it’s employment opportunities or keeping in touch with family and friends.” In 2004, when Bergquist was 12, he founded the group along with his sister, Brittany, who was 13, in their hometown in Massachusetts. Berquist said they were inspired after hearing

about a soldier in Afghanistan who had thousands of dollars in charges from using a cell phone to call home. “He had a cell phone over there and was passing it around to his buddies, and the roaming charges amounted to $8,000,” Bergquist said. “When we heard the story, we thought it was ridiculous that a service member that was protecting our freedom would have to pay for such a large cell phone bill calling home. “So, my sister and I did car washes, and bake sales in our hometown and ended up paying off his cell phone bill.” Bergquist said they received a lot of interest and media attention about “two young kids that weren’t fighting or playing video games. We were just working together to find a solution to this really interesting issue that was affecting our military at the time,” and soon more donations and requests from other soldiers with “some pretty large cell phone bills” started coming in. The siblings then officially opened Cell Phones for Soldiers as a nonprofit aimed at sending phones pre-loaded with minutes to soldiers overseas until government officials got involved. “We actually got a call from the Department of Defense that said, ‘If you make a phone call from these cell phones, it’s a security hazard. Their position can be compromised and triangulated,’” Bergquist said, “and so we were actually told to cease and desist sending the phones overseas.”

400community

Above: There are more than 3,500 drop-off locations across the country where devices can be donated for Cell Phones for Soldiers, a Forsyth County-based group that aims to connect veterans facing homelessness with cell phones. BELOW: Rob Bergquist, second from left, recently took part in the Cherokee County Veterans Treatment Invitational Golf Tournament at Eagle Watch Golf Club.

Bergquist said the group then pivoted to selling donated phones and using those funds to purchase pre-paid calling cards that soldiers could use from landlines. Since then, Bergquist said approximately 27 million devices have been recycled by the organization to fund about 6 million cards with more than 400 million minutes for soldiers. Bergquist said the group has pivoted again in the last two years to have more of a focus on veterans partially due to improvements in the technology soldiers now use to call home. “We’re really starting to focus on the veteran community rather than active-duty service members and that’s because of a couple reasons,” he said. “The infrastructure overseas has really developed and matured now so that there’s more access to Wi-Fi capabilities, like Zoom and WhatsApp, all these platforms now have these Wi-Fi capabilities. I really kind of made the phone cards obsolete that they’re really not needed as much anymore.” He said the phones have been well-received not only by the veterans but also by nonprofit groups and organizations giving them assistance. “We really started to reach out and engage with the veteran community, and a lot of veterans’ service officers and military non-profit groups said, ‘Please develop this so that we can start deploying these cell phones to the veterans that might be homeless or at risk of falling into homelessness and provide them with a communication solution,’” Berquist said. Bergquist said that it was also a better pitch to donors that their devices would be going directly to veterans rather than to being sold. “Oftentimes you would say, ‘Hey, we’re going to take your phone, and we’re actually going to sell it to generate revenue,’ and that’s kind of not the best sales pitch,” he said. “So be able to say, ‘Hey, you send us your phone, we can actually refurbish it, put minutes on to it, and actually take that device and put it in the hands of a veteran.’ That’s a much better story to tell.” After starting in the northeast, Bergquist said the group relocated to Forsyth County about eight years ago while looking for a space to handle the logistics of receiving, sorting and finding markets for phones and to be close to the telecommunication industry in Alpharetta. Bergquist said there are currently more than 3,500 drop-off locations across the country where devices can be donated and all makes, models and conditions of phones are accepted. Along with donation boxes, the group accepts donations through drives at businesses and other locations. It also accepts monetary donations. For more information, go to CellPhonesforSoldiers.com. December 2023

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400kids

Photos courtesy of Piggy Jo’s Piggy Jo’s is a family-owned children’s boutique offering an array of clothes and toys.

FAMILY-OWNED CHILDREN’S BOUTIQUE TO OPEN NEW LOCATION AT HALCYON 12

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400kids By Sabrina Kerns skerns@forsythnews.com A one-of-a-kind children’s boutique from Buford will be officially opening its second location in Forsyth County next week. Piggy Jo’s, featuring clothing for littles ranging from newborn to pre-teen, is hosting the grand opening for its new storefront located in Halcyon on Saturday, Nov. 11, inviting the community to see what the store has to offer. Originally established in Buford in 2021, the shop carries an extensive collection of toys and apparel and features familiar brands like Magnolia Baby, The Beaufort Bonnet Company Z Supply, Tender Leaf Toys and many more. The new location at Halcyon will also offer its own unique experience for families with an array of activities for kids, an in-store train table and quarterly story times. “Halcyon’s close-knit community and convenient location makes it the perfect spot for our second storefront,” said Mandy Volpe, owner and founder of Piggy Jo’s. “Our focus is to create an enjoyable, stress-free shopping experience for all families.” Volpe said she and her kids have already been visiting Halcyon, attending events and hosting a pop-up for the past year. Now, she’s excited to meet even more families in the community and officially open for business. That all begins during the grand opening, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11, from 10 a.m. to noon at Halcyon, which is located at 6365 Halcyon Way in Alpharetta.

For more information about Piggy Jo’s, visit its website at www.piggyjos.com or its Instagram page, @piggyjoshalcyon.

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