Business Does Good: New Art Gallery Gives Back With Online Raffle
This story is part of a series called, Business Does Good, stories about Maritime companies contributing time and money to making their communities stronger.
SAINT JOHN — A Saint John artist and gallery owner has been giving back to local charities this holiday season with a weekly art raffle.
Jennifer Irving, owner of Paris Crew in uptown Saint John, has been doing an online raffle each week in December for a print of her work.
The idea to host a raffle came from an event Irving and her friend Shannon Hunter organized last year at the Shadow Lawn Inn in Rothesay, which supported Hestia House and First Steps.
“A lot of our girlfriends who had different things whether it be diapers, toys and all this stuff. We all got together we had dinner at Shadow Lawn,” she said. “It was such a huge success. I think we had two carloads of stuff.”
The plan was to do it again this year at the new gallery. But the logistics of hosting such an event around Covid-19 proved difficult.
“We were really excited and looking forward to it, and then the Orange phase happened, and we were like ‘okay, we can’t do that,'” said Irving. “We had the space, but we were trying to figure out how to do it.”
So she and the Paris Crew team decided on an online raffle.
“It’s something that was kind of neat because typically with raffles it’s usually an event that you would go to and you buy the raffle tickets,” said Irving. “But then I learned there was an actual digital way of doing it, so we decided to do that.”
Each week the money from the raffle goes to support a different organization in the city: Outflow, Romaro House, St. John The Baptist King Edward School, and Hestia House.
Irving said the raffles have had good reception, as many people are finding it a safe way to give back during the Christmas season.
“People still obviously want to help and do something, but it’s just such a weird and strange time. You can have a fundraiser, it’s just how do you do it within all the realm of a pandemic,” she said. “We were able to figure it out and so far it’s been really good. We’ve been enjoying it and it’s just a little something we’ve been able to give back.”
Opening a new business in 2020 was no small task, but Irving said Paris Crew has received lots of support and kindness from the community since it opened in September. She said it was important to return the favour.
“I feel really lucky. I three little boys at home and my husband. I feel like we’re pretty lucky to have a roof over our heads. We have meals on the table. We count our blessings every day and I know sometimes it can be a little bit easy to forget that,” she said.
“I just feel like there is a lot of people that need out help out there and think anybody is able to help in some way should give it a shot.”
RELATED: Jennifer Irving’s Journey From Buckwheat Pillows And Falafels To Fine Art
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