Meet Daniela, our JAB Co-Vice Chair, Head of Operations and the founder of Rising Sun at Sunset.
Rising Sun at Sunset is a project aimed at promoting social equity while reducing waste. The idea was born from her personal practice of recycling, reusing and repurposing goods at home.
As such, Phase I of her project consisted of a spare school supplies collection drive with a simple, yet catchy slogan: “Don’t throw them away—Throw them my way.” The objective was clear: encourage people to donate lightly used or surplus school supplies rather than discard them.
Thanks to partnerships spanning South Florida—her local school in Miami Dade, Joshua’s Heart Foundation, Healing Hands of Hope Charities— and the amazing contributions of like-minded people in the community—this drive was a success. By mid-August, the first wave of distribution brough fully equipped backpacks to 25 children of women affected by domestic violence temporarily living at a shelter in North Miami Beach. By September, the second wave of distribution brought more than 30 fully equipped backpacks and 12 boxes full of school supplies and shoes to a school founded and operated by Healing Hands of Hope Charities in Tierra Bomba –a remote and impoverished island off Cartagena, Colombia.
Empowered by the positive reception and the strong relations made throughout this drive, Daniela plans to expand the scope and reach of her project. Lookout for the launch of her website risingsunatsunset.org to learn more about the Vision, Mission and Values and the strategic plan for Phase II of her project.
