DESIGN + HOMELESS YOUTH = A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE LIKE NO OTHER


In 2004, the Reciprocity Foundation created America's first homeless
youth-led design firm called Appreciate Design. Today, our design firm
employs 5-10 youth designers per year and creates cutting edge products
including organic t-shirts, yogawear, gourmet chai, babywear and a line of
Go Green! gift bags, centerpieces and corporate gifts.


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100% of all proceeds from Appreciate Design are donated to the Reciprocity Foundation to fund programming for homeless youth. To date, we have raised over $25,000 from online, retail and corporate accounts including Publicis Groupe, Young & Rubicam, Solera Capital, Smith Barney and the Hillary Clinton campaign. To purchase our dseigned items online visit www.appreciate.org To organize custom corporate gifts or event design, contact david@reciprocityfoundation.org.

Meet the Youth Designers

Michelle Corporan (on left), a former homeless youth and aspiring designer, is now designing clothing, graphic icons and products as a freelance designer, is enrolled in college and has moved out of the shelter system.

Yaaserwaah S. Akuoku (on right) is an aspiring fashion designer and is currently studying design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and is pursuing freelance design projects in New York City. Her heritage is both African (Ghana) and African-American.