| | Party for Life is Feb. 5 at Stage 48 in NYC
Save the date for Gift for Life's 26th Annual Party for Life taking place on Monday, Feb. 5, at a brand new venue: Stage 48, located at 605 W. 48th St. in New York City (within walking distance of the Javits Center). GFL's annual fund-raising gala will feature great food, an open bar, dancing, and a silent auction of fabulous prizes. Trevor Cohen, president and CEO of Giftcraft, will receive GFL's Chuck Yancy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Individual tickets to the 26th Annual Party for Life are just $125. Sponsorships ranging from $500 through $25,000 are also available. These can be purchased by clicking here. | | |  | | Stage 48 is Party for Life's new venue. | | | | | LIFELINE Created to Support Natural Disaster Relief Efforts
The U.S. gift and home furnishings industry is responding to the essential needs of people affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and the California wildfires with LIFELINE, a national program to fund food and water provisions organized by Gift For Life and AmericasMart Atlanta. Through January 12, contributions will be distributed to people in need through and in association with Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief charity.
LIFELINE will channel monetary donations for the provision of food and water to communities impacted by the recent disasters through Feeding America member food banks. Donors can make tax-deductible credit card and e-check contributions via the secured LIFELINE page on Feeding America's website at www.feedingamerica.org/giftforlife. For more information and to access a LIFELINE Q&A resource guide, email lifeline@americasmart.com. | | | | | Giftcraft and Trevor Cohen Pledge $25K to GFL
Giftcraft President and CEO Trevor Cohen – who will be honored with GFL's Chuck Yancy Lifetime Achievement Award at Party for Life in NYC on Feb. 5 – and Giftcraft have pledged a $25,000 donation to kick off the Party for Life fundraising campaign, which last year raised more than $225,000.
Cohen emigrated from South Africa to Canada in 1981, where he immediately established a start-up company focused on developing innovative products leveraging licensing, branding and Asian manufacturing, and penetrated the largest North American retailers within the first year of its launch. In 1991, he became a strategic advisor to Giftcraft and, as CEO since 2002, Cohen has accomplished a complete restructuring of Giftcraft’s product lines, merchandising, sales strategies and logistics to transition the company into a full-service, leading-edge designer, manufacturer and distributor of innovative lifestyle and giftware products.
"I am honored to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award and to be recognized by Gift for Life for my contribution to our industry," says Cohen. "I proudly accept this recognition on behalf of my Giftcraft family who have supported me all the way."
Party for Life sponsorships start at $500, and donations in any amount will be accepted in honor of honoree Trevor Cohen. For sponsorship level and benefits, click here. | | |  | | GFL Honoree Trevor Cohen | | | | | | | Caminar Latino Honors Gift for Life and AmericasMart Atlanta
Caminar Latino presented its Community Award to AmericasMart Atlanta in partnership with Gift for Life at the Caminar Latino 6th Annual Celebration: A Journey Towards Non-Violence, on Nov. 3 in Atlanta, GA. The event provided the opportunity for participants to celebrate Caminar Latino's innovative work in helping families to live a life without violence while also supporting its future work. For more information about Caminar Latino, click here. | | |  | GFL Chair George Kacic of AmericasMart (left)
and GFL Founder Peter Schauben of Appelman
Schauben (right) accept Caminar Latino's
Community Award. | | | | | | | Why Do You Support Gift for Life?
"Gift for Life goes above and beyond by supporting those in need and leading awareness efforts to educate the community of HIV/AIDS. I and the rest of us at Whereoware are proud to support such a great cause."
– Mitchell Phillips, Digital Account Coordinator, Whereoware, a digital agency specializing in email marketing, website and mobile app design and development, and more, which donates its design and distribute services to GFL. | | |  | | Mitchell Phillips, Whereoware | | | | | | | Spotlight on DIFFA Grantee: The Alpha Workshops
Kenneth Wampler and a dedicated Board of Directors established The Alpha Workshops (Alpha) in New York City in 1995. As a non-profit decorative arts studio, the organization provides a supportive environment to train people living with HIV/AIDS or other disabilities and to offer employment. With a strong belief in the healing properties of productive work and artistic expression, Alpha operates two partnered programs: a vocational school and a professional design studio. To date, The Alpha Workshops Studio School (AWSS) has enrolled more than 500 students with a graduation rate of more than 80 percent. Equipped with the tools to achieve economic independence, more than a third of students gain full-time employment in local design studios. The Alpha Workshops is just one of many grantees that DIFFA supports through its grant-making efforts. To learn more, click here. | | |  | The Alpha Workshops:
Changing Lives Through Art | | | | | Did You Know – World AIDS Day is Dec. 1
The annual World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first-ever global health day. World AIDS Day is important because it reminds the public and government that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education. For additional information, click here. | | | |
