The Apprenticeship

The apprenticeship is a opportunity to make money and have fun. We have more task to improve Bling as a business. I learned to manage my hours I also learned to clock in and out of the job. I have be learning to focus to a task given to me. --Isaias

Host a BLING party and receive free jewelry!

One of our favorite things last year was traveling to BLING parties. Similar to an Avon party or a tupperware party, you invite all your friends and we bring you some jewelry and provide a fun, interactive party. 

December party. The girls got to try so many different foods and loved it! Thanks Carol Ann!

April party with the Little Village BLING team. It was so great to hear the girls be brave and share their stories. Thanks for a great time Rachel!

Interested in hosting a BLING party? This is the sole best way you can support BLING and spread awareness about our story and how God is moving in Chicago!

No matter where you are, whether in the Midwest, on the West Coast, East Coast, or in the South, hosting a BLING party is possible! Of course, if you are in the Chicagoland vicinity we love to host one for you. 

Please email emilyakok9@gmail.com if you are interested supporting our youth by having a BLING party. Once you commit to hosting a party, we will send you three FREE gifts--the Urban hope package of earrings, necklace and bracelet:

Creative Junior Leaders

Our middle school program called Junior Leaders has put some new creations on our Etsy site! Here's the creations of three 8th graders. 

Isaias made this ring and called it "Crimson Rose Ring" After a few months in the program, rings are his signature piece and he's been busy creating multiple different designs.

Natalie made this "Music Bracelet" because she's obsessed with music. She showed me a long list of songs on her iPod to prove it. She said this bracelet could give people who love music a way to show the world about it. 

After experimenting with different materials, Eulalia found she has a skill set for earring making. This are her favorite pair and calls them, "Spearmint Green Earrings."

Check our BLING's new pieces and order your own by clicking on the "Order your BLING" tab. 

The BLING Summit

About two weeks ago we had an event at our Humboldt Park location called the BLING Summit. It was a great opportunity for leaders of business and design to come out and plan with us how we could expand BLING and make it better! 

In our design workshop, our BLING girls (and boys!) worked with their design leader to come up with some high end jewelry pieces. They came up with some great ideas and in the next month we want to produce those! the girls keep asking me when I'm going to order all the materials...It's great to see them excited and eager to do new things. 

When I asked Yaneth and Mariah, the two oldest girls in our program, about what they thought about the event, they said, 

"I'm excited to start having home parties for people our age."

and 

"The business workshop was boring but we talked about a lot and got a lot done."

We had so much great help from our experts in business and design and I am do thankful for how they got our students  more involved in the logistics in BLING. The Summit was a huge success! 

Nikki talking about the history of BLING