School Justice Project

Hello, friends. I hope you’re hanging in there and finding creative ways to pass the days during this pandemic. In these wild and unprecedented times, I’d like to share a little bit about an organization that does excellent work in the community, and whose need is greater now than ever. Of course I am talking about the School Justice Project (SJP).

SJP is near and dear to my heart, and through our Beauty Matters initiative, we’ve committed to donate $100 to SJP for every Denarius Necklace sold. But with all the worthwhile nonprofits out there, why SJP? There are so many reasons.

The School Justice Project does incredibly important work in Washington, DC. They’re a special education legal services non-profit that works with court-involved students with disabilities. SJP is made up of education lawyers who work with students ages 18 to 22 who have special education needs and are involved in either the juvenile or criminal system. Lawyers for SJP make sure that their clients’ education rights are enforced while incarcerated and that they have schools to go back to when they return to their communities.

SJP’s positive impact can be seen in the statistics as well as the testimonials of their clients. And I can personally attest that my friend Claire Blumenson, SJP’s Executive Director and Co-founder, is one of the smartest, hardest-working, biggest-hearted (and coolest) women I know. Claire has been a friend of mine and my husband’s for a decade, and she’s spent most of that time kicking butt and taking names for her clients.

Claire tells me that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, her clients are more vulnerable than ever - especially those who are incarcerated. As Claire and her teammates at SJP work around the clock for their mission, I hope you’ll keep them in your thoughts. I also hope that if you’re able, you’ll consider supporting SJP financially.

Thanks to the work of heroic organizations like SJP, we'll get through these difficult times together. In the meantime - stay safe, strong, and loving.