Spreading Positivity

Dahlia wrote, “Over the course of 2-3 weeks I made approximately 65-70 pieces including keychains,
earrings, rings, and coasters and most of them had positive affirmations inside. I put the affirmations
inside by printing and cutting them out and then pushing them inside a clear layer of resin and letting that
cure, then I added a range of different colored resin mixtures on top. To get these out to people on
campus I set up a table at the UC front door and offered them in exchange for a donation to NAMI. This is
an organization called the National Alliance on Mental Illness and they educate, support, listen, advocate,
and lead for every facet mental illness brings. I personally have friends who have used NAMI’s resources
and found them very helpful. Customers made a minimum $1 donation directly to my NAMI fundraiser
page. I set my donation goal to $100 and ended up making $205 by selling about 33 pieces. To spread the
word about the importance of positive self talk I made small information cards that I handed out to every
customer. The cards had facts about the benefits of using positive affirmations and a thorough list of
different mental health resources. I also had my laptop open with a screen on about the organization they
were donating to. By posting my project on my Instagram story I caught the attention of my former high
school teacher; she reached out wanting to support. We worked out that she was going to make a
donation in exchange for the left over pieces that were not sold.”

Check out Dahlia’s video here!

 

“I feel like I made a real difference in the lives of the people who bought something by giving them
something they like in exchange for a donation. Feeling like a good person is fulfilling and I think people
enjoyed donating to a cause that is helping such a widespread issue, especially one they may have
experiences with. I also expect the money donated to make an impact to people who use the resources
NAMI provides. Another way my art made a difference was when people read the positive affirmations and
took them in. Some people thought they were sweet and others chose specific pieces that they felt like
they needed in their life.”

Dahlia has the following advice for any students who want to do a similar project:

• The first big tip I would give is start making the resin items super early on. I felt like I didn’t have as many as
  I wanted and that is due to me starting even two weeks before I tabled. Choose the date(s) to table early so
  you have a concrete timeframe that you can plan on having the resin pieces done by. I would also table for
  multiple days because I lost a couple customers due to it being an inconvenient time for them. To table you
  will need to contact Morgan Knapp who works in the McCall Center for Civic Engagement. Morgan will also help
  you get what you need done if your doing a fundraiser, there are specific guidelines and forms. A helpful tool I
  used to keep track of my donations was creating my own fundraiser page on the NAMI website and I made a
  QR code that sent people directly there.
• If you need funding for your project you should work that out super early on (like in the planning stages) and
  apply for the mini-grant. At first I thought I would immediately receive the money to do my project, but it
  ended up being only a reimbursement for the money I spent myself. That led to me waiting too long to order
  some of my supplies which delayed me a bit. To receive the reimbursements if you get approved for the mini
  grant you will need to contact Stephanie Stokamer who is also in the McCall Center for C.E.
• The last tip I have is to work with at least one other person if possible! There were many parts of this project I
  did not realize would need my time and attention and I would’ve liked to have someone to help me. At the
  same time, it is doable alone if you would like to work alone. I did have other ethics students volunteer for me
  when I tabled and they reached via email after I put my project needs in the google doc Ramona made for us.
  They helped me set up the table and sat with me for a couple of hours. We got customers to come to table
  mostly by sitting at the front door of the UC, many people walked by and we caught their attention by either
  asking if they’d like to buy something or simply by saying hi. One of the people who helped me even shouted
  out to advertise the table.