Written by Dana Dhailieh
Well it’s official, 2016 is a wrap! With that, we’re ready to embrace 2017 with open arms and an open heart. We’ve been so fortunate as to receive an immense amount of support from the people in our community. Peace Collective has been growing, and it’s taken on a life of its own since it came into this world just two years ago. We’ve since come to the realization that there are truly no limitations to just how far this project can go. We are so very grateful for all the love and support we have received from each and every one of you. Without this, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, so thank you.
When we started this project, it was our vision to create a truly Canadian Brand while fostering a passionate energy, and living one’s life to its fullest. This was essentially brought to life through our one-for-one model, where for each garment sold we are able to provide two healthy meals and a snack to a Canadian child in need. Our aim is that by helping those in need with additional resources, it will encourage them to foster their passions and reach fuller potentials in their lives. But we did not stop there.
This past year we launched the Peace Foundation; it’s our registered not-for-profit organization that allows us at Peace Collective to increase our commitment to the community. This year we have expanded our one-for-one model beyond just that of garment purchases. We partnered with Spinco, a cycling studio based in Kelowna BC, which recently opened up its doors here in Toronto. What brought us together was our shared passion for inspiring others and making a difference. Together we started a weekly initiative, Spin it Forward where every Monday the studio hosts a class based on donations only. All proceeds from Spin it Forward goes towards the Boys and Girls Club of Canada, where each donation provides a child a week’s access to recreational sports. We are excited to say that we have more partnerships in the works for 2017.
Not only have we been hard at work creating a greater sense of passion and inspiration within our community, but we’ve also taken this ideal into our own company culture. Just a few months ago we opened up our flagship location here in Toronto, and with that we saw our team double in size. We’ve been so grateful for all the hard work from our staff, this has been a huge learning process for us all. We wanted to ensure that we were fostering the passions of all of our employees, as we know that many of them have dreams of becoming designers, writers, and PR personnel, just to name a few. And so with that we have been carving a space for them to cultivate or perfect their craft. We can really say that our team is comprised of individuals who are passionate about what they do. It comes full circle: in chasing our passions we enable others to do the same.
When we started this we wanted to ensure that we were doing our part in encouraging a nation where we help and support one another. We love this country and the freedoms and ideals it stands for, and there are so many truly amazing people living in it. We can confidently say that we have been showing up for our job day after day, trying to make it an even better place. There is so much more to come, and we are thrilled to have you along for the ride, once again, as we continue to say Home is Canada.
