THALĒ BLANC Founder, Deborah Sawaf, is raising her children with the value that one is never too young to make an impact. She and her husband are teaching their children the gratification of giving back. When you give something that is meaningful to you, that in return makes the act of giving more meaningful and gratifying to oneself.  With their earnings from chores or gifts, Deborah’s children started their philanthropic journey by giving back ⅓ to charitable causes. 

When the eldest son turned eight, he made the choice of not receiving gifts on his birthday and chose to give his gifts to a cause he cared about instead. After visiting a children’s hospital, he was inspired to raise funds for Pediatric Cancer Research. Since turning 8, he has raised a total of $49,000. At 10 years old, Deborah’s daughter chose to spend two weeks at the Mother Teresa Orphanage in Calcutta, its youngest volunteer to date. Today she is involved in the UNICEF Hunger Fund and has created artwork for “Flutter of Hope.” 

Flutter of Hope is a collection of finely crafted clutches, handbags, and bracelets that carry a message of hope and belief in what we can accomplish together. Each product features a signature butterfly motif, as they are a symbol of new beginnings. Twenty percent of proceeds from each sale will go directly to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles in support of Pediatric Cancer Research. (www.CHLA.org). 

Deborah’s children have been the best ambassadors for Flutter of Hope. By sharing their experiences with their friends and community,  they too have been inspiring others to participate in charitable causes. It goes to show that one is never too young to make a difference in our world. All it takes is one child at a time.