“I just recently had a fortune cookie that read ‘If you continually give, you will continually have,’ and I thought that was so beautiful,” said Michelina with a huge smile on her face. The Buffalo native and small business owner used this opportunity to reflect on the last few years, which had been especially challenging for her.
In 2014, Michelina started a jewelry-making business. Her pieces are handmade and come from raw, ethically-sourced crystals. Jewelry-making had started as a way to help with Michelina’s mental health, and she found solace in working with her hands. After escaping a violent situation, she discovered that working with crystals was therapeutic. “I have always felt connected to the earth and, in particular, crystals seem to have a positive effect on my energy and mood,” she said. “I started to learn that others felt the same way when I would show them my work, and suddenly I was selling pieces to friends and family, then to complete strangers.”
As her business started to boom, Michelina began to look for ways to give back to her community. She found Haven House through a quick internet search, and the mission immediately resonated with her. “Haven House isn’t just a shelter, they also provide counseling, aid in transitioning to a new life, and support in court,” she explained. “I loved that [Haven House] focuses on the full spectrum of what domestic violence survivors need in order to overcome their challenges.”
After finding out about Haven House in 2020, Michelina began to support the organization through donations, and the more she learned, the more she wanted to contribute. “I started with small donations, but as my business began to grow, I was able to give more,” described Michelina.
Even when she found business briefly slumping in 2022, Michelina still found a way to continue to give to Haven House. “It meant a lot to me to make sure I was still giving something, even if it wasn’t as much as before,” she noted. “Sure enough, by the end of the year, I couldn’t keep up with orders, and my business has really started to flourish.”
Alicia Stark, Community Relations Coordinator for Haven House, formed a quick connection with Michelina after contacting her. “Michelina uses jewelry-making for therapy as well as a business, which mirrors how we often utilize art therapy with our clients,” Alicia said. “She is so positive, even when talking about the difficulties she has been through. You can tell she genuinely believes that when you do good things, good things will happen for you in return.”
When asked about her future, Michelina laughed and said, “I really don’t know!” But there is a hopefulness in her voice, and excitement when she talks about her ideas for how she can continue to give back. “I would love to help Haven House in any way that I can,” she beamed. “It could be through donating, bringing crystals for clients to work with, teaching a jewelry-making class to help build their confidence – I just want to help those utilizing Haven House’s services.”
Child and Family Services, and especially Haven House, would like to extend our deep gratitude to Michelina and other advocates like her for their continued support of our programs that serve children and families throughout Western New York.