n i g v i b g o e o k h t building a better world for little ones: 2017 annual giving report
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our story We’re a family of five on a mission to help feed children in need. There’s nothing we love more than being parents. We think nurturing our three children is the most important, rewarding and sometimes challenging job in the world! With a background in health, we recognize the crucial role nutrition plays in a child’s development. As parents, we believe all children should have enough food to eat and the opportunity to thrive, so when we saw a documentary on the devastating impact of childhood hunger on millions of children around the world, it inspired us to help. On that day, we decided to start a company whose purpose is to help improve the lives of children and to make a difference. Everything we do at cuddle+kind is a reflection of our values. All our heirloom-quality dolls are lovingly handcrafted and ethically produced by artisans in Peru. For every doll sold, we give 10 meals to children in need.
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Our whole family is passionate about what we’re doing and loves every doll we make. We sincerely hope you will too.
Hugs, Jen, Derek, Ethan, Brooke + Rachel Woodgate
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together, we’ve provided
3,440,678
meals to children in need. cuddle+kind is a social business with giving back at its core. For every doll sold, we give 10 meals to hungry children around the world. Read on to learn more about why, how and where we give.
1 doll = 10 meals
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why we give Poor nutrition causes nearly half of deaths in children under five - 3.1 million children each year. 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world. Nearly one million Canadian children are at risk of attending classes hungry due to lack of access to nutritious food. And 13 million children in America live in food insecure households. We started cuddle+kind to help change this. The United Nations World Food Program considers hunger “one of the most solvable problems that face the world today.� We believe that by giving children the nutrition they need to thrive and reach their potential, we will be making a positive impact on the world for generations to come.
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The 5 values we live by. 2 Every child deserves an education and needs the energy to learn. This is why we believe in and support school meal programs around the world.
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Every child deserves enough food to eat and the opportunity to thrive. It’s what motivated us to start cuddle+kind and it’s why we give 10 meals to children in need for every doll sold.
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Fairness and decency should be a part of all t make. We are committed to ethical productio all our artisans are empowered with equitable employment and paid a fair trade wage. 8
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Children deserve the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty they were born into. Good nutrition and an education are the keys to this opportunity.
4 Girls and women should be empowered. Childhood hunger and malnutrition disproportionally effects girls. School meal programs help increase the number of girls who are sent to school to get both a meal and an education.
the products we on, which means e, sustainable
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how we give We’ve established partnerships with several highly respected humanitarian agencies to distribute the meals our dolls provide. Their programs and on-the-ground knowledge ensure that every purchase you make will directly benefit children in need.
1 doll = 10 meals “2017 witnessed an incredible milestone in our partnership: 1 million meals raised for children across the globe!” – WFP USA
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our giving
WFP provides school meals to 17.4 million children each year. School meals can be life-changing to the world’s poorest children, not only helping to improve their nutrition, but improving their ability to learn. “Each handmade doll from cuddle+kind symbolizes a powerful idea—the promise of daily nourishment and comfort for the most vulnerable among us.” – WFP USA
CHF delivers Food Paks and other aid so that they may deliver hope to suffering children and families in their communities.
“We are especially grateful to partner with cuddle+kind in our mission to deliver hope and food the suffering, and to educate people about the need of hungry children and families around the world.” – Children’s Hunger Fund
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From left to right: Brooke + Ethan Woodgate volunteering at Breakfast Club of Canada. | Child morning meals at Breakfast Club of Canada. | Students in Kenya where we provide school m
g partners
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Through our giving partner WE Charity, we support 21 schools in Kenya and have provided over 1,000,000 school meals to children in Kenya this year. “We feel privileged to work with you, and to have the opportunity to accomplish incredible things together.” – WE Charity
Breakfast Club of Canada works to empower every child to realize their full potential by providing a healthy morning meal before classes start. “Breakfast Club of Canada thanks cuddle+kind for their heartwarming contribution through the 1 doll = 10 meals campaign. This simple meal allows Canadian children to reach their full potential, in school and in life! – Breakfast Club of Canada
dren from one of the three Haiti orphanages who received dolls. | Ethan Woodgate preparing meals through WE Charity. | Rachel Woodgate preparing meals at Breakfast Club of Canada.
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where w CANADA Over one million Canadian children live in food insecure households. One in five are at risk of starting the school day on an empty stomach. Our dolls help provide children with a nutritious breakfast, providing energy to learn.
The meals our dolls provide are do world. Our incredible giving partne will directly benefi
USA In the US, over 16 million children live in food insecure households. Your purchases help provide meals through local food banks and nutritious Food Paks to families with children who are facing hunger regularly or for the first time.
PERU 60 children in Abacnay now receive school meals five days a week while some families in need also receive nutritious Food Paks. It’s so meaningful to us to give back in the country where our dolls are handmade.
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HAITI
In Haiti, cuddle+ki meals needed to orphanages: The Orphanages in Po Haitian Orphanag
we give
onated in 66 countries around the ers guarantee that every purchase fit a child in need.
WORLDWIDE In 66 countries across the world, your purchases help feed children nutritious lunches in school. School meals have proven to increase attendance, improve performance and allow more girls to receive an education in poverty stricken areas.
ind provides all the 150 children in three e Shekina and Delmas 31 ort au Prince and Cap ge in Cap Haitan. 15
FROM PERU
with love
Peru’s culture has a long knitting history that has been handed down from mother to child for generations. This is why our beloved artisans make cuddle+kind dolls so beautifully. Every doll is hand-knit, stitch by stitch, with passion and pride.
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HANDMADE
with pride A tremendous amount of love goes into each handcrafted cuddle+kind doll. Every step in the process is carefully considered—from the unique, detailed designs to perfecting the on-trend colour selection and choosing the finest, natural cotton yarns. To ensure our vision comes to life, our team has made over a dozen trips to Peru to work directly with our highly skilled artisans. Every cuddle+kind doll is knit with such a high level of quality and care, they’re suitable to be heirlooms handed down from one lucky baby to the next.
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always fair trade For us, fair trade is a commitment to a different way of doing business. It’s about putting the principles of fairness and decency before profits. This means that we are committed to paying our artisans fairly and equitably for their work which allows them to care for their families and plan for their futures.
We provide safe working conditions, flexible hours to mothers in rural communities and sustainable, fair trade employment that brings meaningful change to their lives.
“I know my work and the effort put in is helping children in need. That excites me”. – Marlene, cuddle+kind knitter 19
IN THE BEST TOY AWARD We are so happy to announce that Oppenheim Toy Portfolio has given their Platinum award to Charlotte + Noah the dogs.
Shop Noah >
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Shop Charlotte >
GOOD MORNING
Wyatt the fox made an ap on Good Morning Americ image below to watch the
press MARTHA STEWART Sebastian the lamb made Martha Stewart’s list as one of the most Adorable (and Fun!) Gifts for Kids!
G AMERICA
ppearance a! Click the e full feature.
Shop Wyatt >
Shop Sebastian >
GOOP GOOP described Stella the polar bear as “hand-knit, ethicallly produced, and really cute.”
Shop Stella >
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we love
“The qu
YOUR PHOTOS + FEEDBACK We can’t get enough of your beautiful photos and wonderful comments. Don’t forget to tag your posts with #cuddleandkind for a chance to be featured.
“I love that I’m helping in some small way to feed hungry children.” – Theresa Sullivan
: @abielyn15
“They are so cute, so soft, and it’s great knowing some children are getting meals because of our purchases.” – Jeanne Pankow
: @kcstauffer
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– JoAnn M
uality is impeccable.”
Myers Fedor
“The colours and workmanship rival none.” – Allison-jo Cutler-Golden
: @aenny04
: @chasingthesummerfields
“I was stunned at the detail. Beautifully made.” – Charlotte Collins
: @charmsie
“Your dolls are absolutely gorgeous and I love supporting this mission.” – Amber Probst
: @wellettas
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“They are beautiful and the quality is amazing… they are like potato chips. You can’t have just one!” – Sande McAtee
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Get two free prints feed 30 children + free shipping*
When you buy any two dolls, you’ll receive two 10”x10”, unframed inspirational prints for free. You’ll feed 30 children and get free shipping – a total $47 savings. Just choose your favourite dolls + prints and the savings will automatically be applied at checkout.
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Thank you for a dream come true. Your incredible support has helped us realize our dream of helping children in need and making a difference in their lives. Our hope is that one day, every child will have enough food to eat, and that our company will have been a part of making that happen. We believe in the power of social businesses to improve the world and are honoured to be making a positive impact with our customers. Our goal is to provide one million meals to children in need every year, and thanks to you, we donated 2,543,770 in 2017! Please share our giving book with anyone you think might be interested in our heirloom-quality dolls and the cause they support. It would mean the world to us.
Hugs, Jen, Derek, Ethan, Brooke + Rachel Woodgate
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1 doll = 10 meals
Artisan made. Lovingly handcrafted. Ethically produced.
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