This guest post is by Kelly Mutsch, owner of Eco Evie Apparel. Kelly is applying for our Supporting Small Businesses That Hire People With Disabilities Grant Opportunity ran by my nonprofit KFM Making A Difference. You can learn more about the grant opportunity here.
I hope you can support my nonprofit like I’m trying to support our community. I also produce educational videos to celebrate neurodiversity by spotlighting individuals impacted by a diagnosis. Learn more on how you can help our cause with a small donation (just asking for $3 today, equal to your daily cup of coffee) here.
My daughter, Evie, and I started Eco Evie Apparel to raise money for animal conservation programs, and help raise awareness for endangered animals.
Evie was diagnosed with autism at 2 1/2 yrs old, and endangered animals became an affinity for her, memorizing all the facts she could about them. By 9 years old, Evie had already been asking for money for her birthday to donate to our local zoo and had been selling homemade bracelets around the neighborhood taking up donations. She came to me and said, “Mom, we need to start a real business so we can help these animals, they can’t speak for themselves so we need to tell people about them and why they are worth saving!” So of course I said yes.
When Evie wanted to start this business, I thought long and hard about her message and her commitment to helping these animals and thought whatever we did we needed to do it better.
So we sourced 100% recycled water bottle fabric to make our shirts from, and all our other components are all US-made to achieve the smallest carbon footprint possible. Evie chooses all the animals we feature on our shirts, and I get to do the designing, and we create small batches of our kids’ and women’s clothing in our hometown of Milwaukee, WI.
In fulfilling Evie’s mission to promote our world’s well-being and to ensure these animals are around for generations to come, we donate 10% of our profits to endangered animal conservation programs. Evie loves inspiring others to recycle and be kind to our earth, and to share her love of animals with everyone she meets! Evie does videos, photoshoots, and fashion shows to promote our business, as well as TV interviews, podcasts, and local speaking engagements. This is a wonderful opportunity for her to gain valuable experience in practicing communication skills.
I have loved sharing Evie with the world through our business; it gives me an opportunity to show others that Evie (and other kids, including those with disabilities) can do whatever they set their mind too. I have been able to educate others on autism and encourage those with autistic family members. Of course, I was nervous putting Evie out on the internet and telling our story, but it has been nothing but positive for us both, and I’m thrilled to leave a good mark on the people we touch!
People need to know that individuals with disabilities have something to offer too, a unique perspective on life! If we support these individuals with employment that fits their unique skill sets, anything is possible. While National Disability Employment Awareness Month is amazing and a step in the right direction, I hope more businesses look at employment opportunities for people with disabilities ALL the time. Everyone is good at something. We just need to find it, pull it to the forefront, and support their strengths!
Follow my journey on Facebook, my Facebook Fan Page, & Instagram!
Kerry Magro, a professional speaker and best-selling author who is also on the autism spectrum started the nonprofit KFM Making a Difference in 2011 to help students with autism receive scholarship aid to pursue a post-secondary education.
Have Kerry, one of the only professionally accredited speakers on the spectrum in the country, speak at your next event by sending him an inquiry here. If you have a referral for someone who many want him to speak please reach out as well! Kerry speaks with schools, businesses, government agencies, colleges, nonprofit organizations, parent groups and other special events on topics ranging from employment, how to succeed in college with a learning disability, internal communication, living with autism, bullying prevention, social media best practices, innovation, presentation best practices and much more!
