Taking care of business
Junior Achievers selling necklaces, donating proceeds to mental health group
STELLARTON, N.S. — It means “My Pretty” in French.
Mes-Belles, the name of a company launched by the Junior Achievers organization in Pictou County, is a non-profit company selling necklaces, with a portion of sales going to a local mental health group.
“They’re cracked marbles, and in the necklaces we have the wire wrapping marbles, and they can be moved within the wire,” said Junior Achiever Karmen MacLean. “They are for people who constantly need to fidget or who have anxiety.”
There are eight members working in the local Junior Achievers program, students from NNEC and NRHS.
They purchased the raw materials for the necklaces at local shops and hope to raise $2,220 through sales.
“All our marbles were donated to us, so we didn’t have to buy them,” MacLean said. “We started in October and our production started in November.”
The group is donating part of the proceeds — a total of $4 from every necklace sale goes to Dream Candy, a Tier 2 mental health organization based in Stellarton.
“Their whole mandate is creating a positive atmosphere for the body mind and spirit for our youth,” said Shannon MacLean, a volunteer adviser with the group. “So they really do embody our product and our mission. Junior Achievers is all about entrepreneurship and it’s all about promoting small business community in the province. So we want to engage the small-business community.”
A door-to-door sales campaign will take place on Feb. 11, and on Feb. 18 a birthday bash marking the 100th year of Junior Achievers will be held at the North End Recreation Centre in New Glasgow from 1 to 4 p.m.
February is also Junior Achievers Month in Nova Scotia.
“It’s basically like a big birthday party to promote Junior Achievers and it’s free to the public.”
Anyone interested in buying a necklace can also purchase one from a Junior Achievers participant, get in touch with the group on social media or get a hold of the group on social media.
“We have been at the farmers market quite a bit,” Shannon MacLean said. “The New Glasgow Farmers Market has been a huge supporter.”