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| Kris Barrows sells her earrings on Etsy and at local craft fairs |
Shoreline Hopelink has a gift event for clients of Hopelink who are grandparents or non-custodial parents. These individuals want to give gifts to their families, but when you have limited funds it is not realistic to spend what you have on toys and gift cards.
Shoreline manager Kevin Osborn says, "We started the grandparents gift event years ago, and added the non-custodial parents several years ago when we found that so many parents were talking about how they couldn’t get gifts from various programs because the kids weren’t living with them full-time.
This year's event was on December 18th. One Shoreline artist stepped up to help in a big way, offering free her hand-crafted earrings. K Betker tells the story.
If people are here, it probably means they aren’t doing much for themselves,” Kris Barrows explains, as another Shoreline Hopelink holiday gift room shopper approaches a table covered with literally hundreds of earrings.
Kris is on a mission: to bring a smile to women who are used to putting themselves last. Struggling to make ends meet and focused on choosing toys and gifts for their kids, Kris’s invitation to select a free pair of earrings for themselves takes them by surprise. “Are you serious? This is so awesome … I’m overwhelmed … thank you …”
Kris tells the story of a woman she met at one event who said, “I haven’t had earrings of my own for so long,” and carefully chose a special pair. Minutes later she returned. “I’m so embarrassed,” she said. “It’s Christmas. Can I give these back and take some for someone else?” Kris gave her both.
After 25 years in real estate, Kris knew she needed a career change “when we started taking people out of houses instead of putting people in houses.”
So five years ago, Out on a Limb was born, featuring $5 earrings that make a difference. Kris sells at craft fairs and private parties but finds her greatest reward in events such as Hopelink’s gift rooms, giving women who rarely put themselves first a chance to feel special.
“This is so rewarding,” she said. “It just feels good.”
It takes a very special person to spend so much time and give of herself so much to others. The shoppers and the volunteers at Hopelink loved her earrings and being treated special.
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