Guelph, Ontario

Community Box: Self-Care Edition

Featured Creator, September 2019

Martha’s Story

My most treasured memory was when my son was 14 months old and my daughter was just born. My ex-husband left me a few months earlier and my whole world fell apart because I didn’t know anything different.

I remember being in the apartment feeding my daughter and watching my son play with the cars on the floor. It was the time of day where the light from the sun was softly coming through the window and it was really quiet in the apartment. 

I was abused as a child but I couldn’t control that - what I can control is how I treat my kids. I am raising my children outside of the cycle of abuse that I was raised in and the abuse in my family stops with me. My daughter and son are both getting married and I am looking forward to both their weddings. It’s been a beautiful journey and I just can’t wait to see them all in their wedding dress and suit. My children are who I am most proud of in my life.

Self-care means taking care of yourself because you can’t pour from an empty cup. If you don’t recharge yourself, you can’t give people proper love. Everyone is human and everyone deserves to be treated with kindness, respect, and love.

My favourite part of this experience is when we sat down and made the tea blends - everyone was so lively and animated. It was really exciting to create something tangible for the community to purchase that had meaning behind it. This whole box has so much meaning behind it - so much love and care has gone into the box.

I’ve never been able to paint and creating the sunflower made me feel so happy while I was doing it. Seeing my art on the gratitude card is a humbling feeling because I don’t assume people want to keep anything I make or anything I do. I am my biggest critic so I didn’t feel like this design was good enough to buy and good enough to be on a card.

I try not to live in the past or the future. Thinking about the future makes me anxious and the past is not a place I want to be. I’ve dealt with my past and it’s what built me into the woman that I am today.

It’s taken 43 years to love myself as I am 100% - my mind, my body and my soul. I don’t want to do anything that is going to tear her down. 

The Community Box:

Self-Care Edition

ABOUT

Our third Community Box was created by five current or former users of HOPE House with a passion for self-care.

The Self-Care Box includes:

• A self-care booklet with gentle everyday reminders

• A handmade bracelet with a lava bead for essential oils or fragrances

• A gratitude card to share with people you are grateful for

• Three unique tea blends made in partnership with GROSCHE Coffee & Tea

HOPE HOUSE

The box was created in collaboration with HOPE House, a front-line poverty relief and social assistance centre in Guelph, Ontario.

PROFIT SHARING

Martha earned $50 for co-creating the products in her Community Box. Additionally, 50% of all our profits are shared with our Creators.

EMPOWER OUR CREATORS

Click the button below to build your Self-Care Box or to order individual items from the box!