Giving Back

The Shoebox Project

The Shoebox Project is a national charity that supports women in shelters or who are experiencing homelessness by collecting and distributing shoeboxes filled with essential and small luxury items to remind the women that “they are special, beautiful and worthy of a happy holiday”. 

 Amos Pewter has supported the Christmas Drive of the Halifax chapter of The Shoebox Project since 2021 by offering drop-off locations at our Mahone Bay and Halifax stores as well as by our staff creating boxes to donate in lieu of the traditional gift exchange at our Christmas party.  

IWK Auxiliary

Those of us living in the Maritime provinces count ourselves lucky to have IWK Health as our go-to place for the health of children, women and families in our region.  It has been there for so many of us in our happiest times, our saddest times and every time in-between.  The amazing volunteers at the IWK Auxiliary support the work of the health centre by providing financial and volunteer assistance to a variety of IWK programs and departments.

As a way of giving back, Amos Pewter began a rewarding partnership with the IWK Auxiliary in 2007.  For over a decade, the friendly faces of Auxiliary volunteers greeted arriving cruise ship passengers at the Amos Pewter kiosk in the Dockside Shops at the Pier 22 Cruise Pavilion in downtown Halifax. The success of this partnership resulted in over $400 000 in funds raised to support the work of the Auxiliary.    

2020 was certainly a different year, one in which we all missed the visitors to our beautiful corner of the world.  The cancellation of the cruise season meant that the cruise pavilion was shut down.  But when life throws you lemons, make lemonade!  We were so pleased to have been able to be part of connecting people by spreading Hugs in support of the IWK Auxiliary.  Thousands of Pewter Hug Pocket Charms were sent worldwide to friends and relatives, colleagues and customers, essential workers and even to the Prime Minister and Premiers as well as the Chief Medical Officers of Health across Canada with all proceeds of sales until 2023 being donated to the Auxiliary.  

Believe in Hope

From one family’s tragedy has come an effort to raise awareness of and support for adolescent mental health.  In memory of their daughter and sister Alexis, her family established the Believe in Hope Foundation, a collaboration with the IWK Health Centre through an endowment fund.  Funds raised have helped provide education on adolescent mental health to students and teachers throughout schools across Nova Scotia.

Along with an annual soccer tournament and other fundraisers, funds for the foundation are raised through the sale of bracelets and key chains designed and produced by Amos Pewter.  The design has a daisy based on one of Alexis’ drawings on one side and a semi-colon on the reverse.  The semi-colon is a symbol for suicide awareness – instead of using a period which ends a sentence, one can choose to use a semi-colon to take a pause and then continue on. It gives the message that life, like a sentence, can go on.

Coastal Action

Much of the inspiration for the artisans at Amos Pewter comes from our amazing coastal surroundings.  We appreciate that behind the scenes protecting the health of our oceans and the sea life in it is a hard-working group of people with a shared passion for the environment.  Coastal Action, a charitable non-profit organization established in 1993, promotes the restoration, enhancement and conservation of the environment within the South Shore of Nova Scotia.  Some examples of the many projects supported by Coastal Action include camps and school programs for children and youth, research on microplastics and their impacts on our sea life, projects to reduce “ghost gear” which makes up a large portion of all marine debris, monitoring of water quality in local watershed areas and research on local species-at-risk such as the snapping turtle.

Amos Pewter has had a partnership with Coastal Action since 2017 with a portion of the proceeds from every Hands-On Experience going to support their valuable projects and research.  Visit us to experience the touch of pewter by finishing a Sand Dollar Sea Treasure, our signature keepsake, and, in doing so, contribute to the health of our coastal ecosystem.  

Canadian Red Cross

The Canadian Red Cross is a leading humanitarian organization dedicated to helping people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and to supporting them in strengthening their resilience.

Following the tragic events in Nova Scotia in April 2020, The Canadian Red Cross established the Stronger Together Nova Scotia Fund to help meet the immediate and long-term needs of the families and communities affected.  Amos Pewter had donated to a number of Canadian Red Cross initiatives in the past, but with this happening so close to our home and heart, we felt the need to do something more.  As a result, all proceeds from the sale of the Amos Pewter Nova Scotia Crest ornament and pendent from April – June 2020 were donated to this fund. 

As the one-year anniversary of this event approached, we had the opportunity to collaborate with another local business, East Coast Lifestyle, to design and produce a pendant - a map of our province with a heart cut-out - with all proceeds going to the Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society.  A link to an interview discussing this collaboration can be found at here. 

Giving Back: Souls Harbour Rescue Mission

“It’s a home for the homeless.  It’s hope for the hopeless.  It’s food for the stomach and food for the soul.  It’s friendship for the lonely.  It’s Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.  Souls Harbour rescues people from poverty, addiction and despair, by offering emergency help, such as food, clothing and shelter, life-changing programs, and a message of hope.  If you haven’t a friend in the world, you can find one here, where we strive to offer welcome, hope, and dignity to each of our guests.”

In 2010, Souls Harbour began providing free hot, nutritious lunches as well as free clothing, toiletries and household items at their drop-in centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  This has since expanded to drop-in centres in Truro, Bridgewater, Sackville and Sydney Mines, a Life Recovery Program for persons with addictions and a home and apartment complex offering affordable housing for women and children at risk of homelessness.  Most recently, they have begun a Mobile Mission (the SoulsMobile) with services provided throughout the Halifax area in a repurposed ambulance.  It is exciting to see all that they have accomplished so far and to imagine what might still be to come!

For more information on Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, visit their website at www.shrm.ca.