GIVERS
From left to right: Designed For Joy co-founders Kristen Sydow and Cary Heise
MINDFUL DESIGN
A nonprofit provides creative jobs with a higher purpose by PAIGE HACHET JACOB
“S
he believed she could, so she did.” So reads a quote by author R.S. Grey that’s on display inside Designed For Joy (DFJ), a nonprofit in Boylan Heights that creates living-wage artisan jobs for at-risk women, including victims of sex or labor trafficking, sexual assault and domestic violence. The quote encapsulates the courage and drive behind an organization where women are on a mission to help other women restore confidence in themselves. At its core, Designed for Joy believes in second chances. It helps to rebuild futures by teaching women artisan skills and
48 | WALTER
photography by EAMON QUEENEY providing a reliable reference for them to successfully join the job market. Co-founder Cary Heise was inspired to create DFJ after a mission trip to Rwanda, where she learned of an artisan group that took 30 prostitutes off the street and provided them with jobs. She used her experience as an entrepreneur, combined with co-founder Kristen Sydow’s background in fashion and textiles, to create a similar business model. For Heise, it’s the perfect marriage between business savvy and mission life. Centered around a strong faith, the studio begins each day with devotion and prayer, but notes that the organization is all-inclusive. “You don’t have to be a believer
