posted by The Princess Shop |
September 16, 2015 17:34
A Warm Welcome to our New Graphic Designer- Rachael Meckling
The Princess Shop is excited to welcome our new Graphic Designer, Rachael Meckling. Rachael grew up in Saskatoon but moved to Ontario in her high school years. She attended Ryerson University for fashion communications and graphic design. What makes her unique in her work is that she is an illustrator AND a graphic designer which means she can really make designs exceptional and we are excited and grateful to have her on our team! She did an internship at Flare Magazine and had her illustration and graphic design featured in a June issue in 2010 and she even was known as Flare’s resident artiste and was featured in an August 2010 feature about Flare’s “Young Bright Things.” Below are some questions we asked Rachael:
What got you interested in Graphic Design in the first place?
Ryerson. The introduction to Adobe InDesign changed my life. And when I realized I could make my own hand drawn letters into fonts. That was a big win.
Why do you want to work with The Princess Shop?
Because mentoring and investing in the well-being of girls is essential to their confidence and sense of self-worth. Girl Power.
What project are you most excited about with The Princess Shop?
Drawing the new "Glass Slipper". Very excited to make the invites for the 2016 Glass Slipper Gala as well. I hope my work increases the guest list!
What was your high school graduation like? Describe your dress.
A 1940's style dress from Toronto my aunt bought me for $100. It was made from a dusty mauve chiffon with two silk ribbons that wrapped around my waist and tied in the back. It made me feel like a woman. I'd wear it again.
What is your favorite colour?
Pink. I love all the corals and peaches and bubble gums and magentas. I love that oranges and blues can be made sweeter with pink.
We are so excited to have Rachael on our team and are looking forward to an amazing time with her! Thank you so much to Rachael for her willingness to volunteer her time and talent J
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Tags: communications, contact us, donation, princess shop, nonprofit, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Community, The Princess Shop, Thank You, Volunteer, volunteer opportunities, volunteer saskatoon, volunteering
posted by The Princess Shop |
January 11, 2015 01:49
Volunteering at The Princess Shop- From the Perspective of The Princess Shop's Fundraising Coordinator
I joined The Princess Shop in August of 2012 as a
Volunteer Representative. I had started to feel restless in my office job and thought that finding something to feed my soul would help. When I began to think of my passions and what would work best for me, I thought of The Princess Shop and to my pleasant surprise, they were engaging new volunteers! I immediately did everything I could to draw attention to myself, which included calling, emailing and dropping by the shop. It might have been overkill, but I got the role as Volunteer Representative and I was thrilled.
When I started volunteering, I was stressed out however, The Princess Shop became my retreat. I was able to escape all of this weight and be my normal carefree self with smart, funny, amazing women all while doing something to impact my community and this wonderful city. On more than one occasion, I would leave work on Thursday and almost be in tears, wondering if I could be able to make it to a meeting at The Princess Shop without bursting out crying but would find myself smiling and laughing as soon as I walked in the door. When I was in that room filled with so many beautiful dresses and insanely amazing women, I felt strong and valuable and my fellow volunteers really listened when I spoke. It was wonderful to feel like such an indispensable member of a team.
I offered to take on the role of
Fundraising Coordinator around the time of my first
Glass Slipper. My first fundraiser was with Pure Frozen Yogurt, and it was wonderful. The staff at Pure were so great to work with! They made special treats, put the colour pink everywhere and even dressed up! It was the perfect fundraiser to start off my new role Some other highlights include the Trivia Night at Amigo's put together by friends Andy and Mark, the Christmas fundraiser put on by Mane Productions and Fresh Living, and the Bachelor Canada event put together by one of The Princess Shop's creators, Chantal Hounjet! Every time this community offers The Princess Shop their time and money, I'm so incredibly humbled.
Early in 2014, I gave birth to my daughter, Evey. Everyone at the shop was so accommodating to my new and often unknown schedule and have been extremely welcome to our new The Princess Shop member! Now with Evey nearing her first birthday, I'm only getting busier and am having trouble finding the time to fit in the hours that The Princess Shop and our Princess Graduates truly deserve. I knew I was not ready to say goodbye to The Princess Shop yet, but I knew I couldn't keep trying to make my Fundraiser Coordinator role work. So after just a few months in this role, I'll be returning to Volunteer Representative.
I'm excited to pass the torch! In my opinion, fundraising is one of the most enjoyable jobs at The Princess Shop and I'm eager to see who will take it on.
xoxo
Whitney
posted by The Princess Shop |
September 23, 2014 14:59
Volunteering at The Princess Shop - from the perspective of The Princess Shop's Communications Coordinator.
I joined The Princess Shop's volunteer team in August 2012 in the role of Communications Coordinator. When I saw the posting for the volunteer Communications Coordinator, I thought it would be a great way to further develop some of my skills that I learned in university, as well as learn something new. And that is on top of being able to volunteer for a great non-profit organization that is dedicated to assisting young women celebrate their accomplishments and pursue future goals - volunteering in this role with The Princess Shop just seemed like a great fit for me.
My first volunteer team meeting with The Princess Shop was overwhelming. While the members that make up the volunteer team for The Princess Shop changes from time to time, one thing remains consistent: the team is always made up of intelligent, driven, caring, kind and funny women. After I left the first meeting, where I got to meet the rest of the team, hear more about the programs offered by The Princess Shop, and all of its upcoming projects and events - I felt incredibly motivated to contribute to an organization that had great momentum and was growing, but still maintained complete focus on providing its services and programs to our community's Princess Graduates.
The role of Communications Coordinator is a lot of fun. A lot of my role is based on promoting our upcoming events (like our Steak Night fundraiser on October 19 or our huge annual fundraiser, The Glass Slipper) using social media or this website. I also make sure that all of the awesome people and companies that provide our organization sponsorship, in-kind services, or third party fundraisers receive recognition and appreciation from our organization. I am also involved in drafting the promotional materials (like our Princess Post newsletter or Glass Slipper program) that our in-kind creative designer creates into something truly beautiful! It's really a cool experience to be part of the planning process of these events, help with the creation and distribution of the promotional materials, seeing how the event plays out, and then thanking everyone involved - I get to be involved with the whole process from start to finish.
In addition to my volunteer duties as Communications Coordinator, I also have been through two graduation seasons with our Princess Graduates. All of our volunteers assist in dress appointments - where Princess Graduates come to The Princess Shop to select their graduation dress and accessories. It has been such a pleasure to meet these amazing young women and learn a bit about them while they find the perfect dress to celebrate their day. Seeing some of these young women go on to join the Fairy Godmother Program or be awarded scholarships or work placements through the Next Chapter Program is fantastic.
After two years in my Communications Coordinator role, I have decided it's time for someone new to take on this exciting and fun position, while I take a different role with The Princess Shop and focus more on our Glass Slipper Benefit. I have learned so much about marketing and communications during my time in this role and have met some truly wonderful people. If you would be a great fit for The Princess Shop's volunteer team as our new Communications Coordinator - I strongly encourage you to check out the position description and send Karen an application!
xoxo,
Kacey