When we all work together, give what we can and look out for one another; it’s amazing just how quickly the world becomes a better place for the next generation. In the spirit of giving back, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company is getting ready to donate a total of $2 Million to causes surrounding health, home and hunger through a corporate giving campaign known as Band Together. The nonprofits benefiting include St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Habitat for Humanity and Feeding America.

Band Together

Through this unique corporate giving campaign, you’ll get to decide how this record-breaking donation will be broken up by voting for the cause of your choice. Voting will be open from July 11, 2016 at 11am CT to July 31, 2016 at 11pm CT. Jewelers Mutual with be writing a check for $1 Million to the charity with most votes. $700,000 will go to the second place winner and $300,000 will be donated to the third-place winner. You’ll be entered for a chance to win weekly jewelry prizes from STACKED New York every time you cast your vote. The lucky winners will each get a set of 3 stacking bands ($450 retail value). Cast your vote here.

Hint: Vote everyday for more chances to win!

Giving Back

While most of us probably don’t have $2 Million to donate, we can all make a huge difference in our communities and in the lives of those in need. It doesn’t take a lot of time, money or effort to really make an impact. A couple years ago, my friend Lara, founder of the beauty blog Pretty Connected, started a charity where bloggers, editors, PR agencies, makeup brands or anyone could donate unopened excess beauty products to women living in NYC’s shelters and teenage girls in foster care.

Us beauty and fashion bloggers are always getting makeup sent to us or getting samples at events. While some of it we use, it’s often impossible to use all of it before it expires and not everything you get is right for your skin or hair type. But why let it go to waste when someone else could really use it? With that question in mind, Lara brought the fashion and beauty community together. Throughout the years, we’ve pooled our excess beauty products and donated them to women in need. Since we get more products for free than we can use, this is program that costs us no money, but makes a huge difference in the lives of local women.

New beauty products bring women confidence and it makes those in need happy to know that someone is thinking of them. I’m so honored to have had the opportunity to participate in this program time and time again. I even have a special spot in my closet where I keep my extra beauty products for donation. It’s great to have friends that inspire you to make your community a better place.

If you’re interested in doing some philanthropy work of your own, I would suggest finding something that aligns with your interests and finding a friend to get involved with you. Even if an opportunity to give back doesn’t seen to align with your interests right away, I would still suggest giving it a chance because nothing makes you feel better than giving back to someone else. Doing charity work with a friend can make it less intimidating to volunteer at a new place and keep you from canceling because no one wants to cancel on a friend. If you’re not sure where to start local food banks, hospitals and nursing homes are almost always looking for new volunteers.

As you embark on your journey to make the world a better place, don’t forget to get involved in Jewelers Mutual’s Band Together campaign by casting your vote!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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