Our hearts are heavy this International Women’s Day as we reflect on the crisis unfolding in Ukraine, and we want to honor all those who share a common story with the women at the very core of Everand: refugee women from around the world. In fact, the majority of the more than one million Ukrainian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries in search of peace and safety are women.
On a personal level, this moment recalls our own family history. Our Great Grandma Rose Zall fled to the United States from Minsk when she was just a teenager fearing religious persecution. At 14 years old, she made the journey alone to New York City, where she worked as a seamstress in a sweatshop. As a young immigrant woman on her own, she was able to build a new life because she found viable work to support herself. She carried this experience with her, always believing in the value of meaningful work, and caring deeply about the rights of workers to be treated with dignity and respect. We are moved by how much her story speaks to Everand’s mission, and in this way, we are grateful to be able to continue her legacy.
Refugee women from all backgrounds suffer the shared experience of being forced to leave their homes to seek safety and peace abroad. Crucially, they also share common strengths: courage, resilience, and adaptability to be able to rebuild their lives. At Everand, we have the privilege of working with such remarkable women every day through our partnership with RefugeeOne. These women have escaped similar crises in their home countries, and have resettled here to find safety, community, independence, and self-supporting work.
We can think of no better way to commemorate this International Women’s Day than by paying tribute to women like our Great Grandma Rose. Therefore, in her honor — and in honor of the countless women like her — we are making a donation for every order this March to HIAS. HIAS is a long-standing organization that aids and protects refugees, and Rose turned to them years ago to find her family members when she settled here. They are currently providing help and support to Ukrainian refugees seeking resettlement. We invite you to join in this tribute, and as always, we appreciate your support.