Giving hope with Jewels
Every Wednesday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.
Today’s #WCW title belongs to Bonnie Orona who uses her jewelry business to spread awareness and raise money to rescue and aid young children who are facing human trafficking.
Bonnie Orona, grew up in the South Bay and lived in Torrance all of her childhood life. She later graduated from South High and currently lives in Harbor City. Today, Bonnie is a personal stylist and leader for ViVi formerly Cookie Lee Jewelry.
Her duties include selling fashion jewelry, sunglasses, and scarves as well as building a team. “But my biggest passion is fundraising throughout the community and globally. I have a huge heart to give,” she says. A huge heart indeed, as she likes to help many organizations.
Bonnie uses her ViVI business as a way to help different causes. “I set up my jewelry at events or do catalog fundraisers,” she says. At the end of the event, she donates 50% of her sales to the cause. She has found that this is the best way that she can help a cause.
For over three years, Bonnie had a dream to pay for a house to be built on the Thailand/Burma border by Life Impact International. She says her friend has missionaries in Thailand and has been there for over 14 years rescuing kids that are being human trafficked. “I’ve helped on a smaller monetary scale, but when I heard about this land they purchased and how they wanted to build 17 houses…light bulbs went off,” she says.
She knew she had to be a part of building one of the homes. In result, she pasted a picture of the kids and their needs on her vision board. Today, there are only 3 houses left to build. With the help of Bonnie raising money towards these homes, 14 homes have been built.
Once the money is raised, they will be able to build a house where the children can live and know what it is like to live in a more traditional smaller scale family home. “When all of this started, the kids would be rescued and then they would all live in one massive house. Tons of people in one home…like an orphanage. Lana’s vision was for the kids to live more as a family,” she says.
She was inspired to help largely in part to her friend, Lana Vasquez. “It’s crazy to think a gal from the valley of Southern California would give up everything and sacrifice her life to be over there in Thailand, Burma, and China rescuing kids from a life of prostitution and slavery,” she says. She realized she was living a comfortable life with her husband, kids, pool, and beaches. Yet, there are kids afraid for their lives and a young brave woman over there risking it all…giving kids a hope and a dream.
She ultimately decided that if she can be connected to something like that, then she would feel like she has received the ultimate gift. She thought if she can sow into those kids lives, then she can help them to bloom into something pretty amazing. Such as, helping them heal from a scary life.
There are two ways others can help the cause:
They can shop for some jewelry and 50% of their total purchase price will be donated to Life Impact International. Her website is www.bevivi.com/bonnieorona.
They can make a tax deductible check out to Life Impact International and drop it in the mail to:
Bonnie Orona: 26315 President Avenue, Harbor City, Ca 90710.
Bonnie explains that the goal is to raise $21,000 by the last day of February. As of this morning, they’ve raised $800.00.
Bonnie would like people to know that Child Trafficking is not just happening on the other side of the world. She says, “It is happening right here in our own backyard. Kids as well as adults are being purchased for sex acts as well as slavery. It is so sad and disgusting.”
She is often asked why she is helping children overseas and not here in the United States. She says, “Why not raise $21,000 for children locally? Honestly, I do help children locally. Anytime I can help a child here…I will. But there is just something inside of me that has been telling me to be a part of this.”
She follows what she calls “a small voice.” She is open to see who she can help by following the voice she hears. “For me, that still small voice is God. And I desire to please Him. Today I believe a community will come together for a group of children on the other side of the country and God will honor us for that. A bigger blessing will come for some kids or even for someone here in our town that decided to sow into this movement,” she says.
When she is not working or finding ways to raise money for the children, she is a huge supporter for Community’s Child- a nonprofit organization in Lomita that houses women and their children as well as feeds 1000’s of children every week in the Lomita, Harbor City, and Torrance area. In addition, Bonnie is a member of The Harbor City, Lomita Kiwanis an organization that supports the kids in the community as well as globally.
Her duties include reading and fundraising for the kids at Lomita Magnet. She says, “I help anyone that I find needs help and wants my help and honestly anytime I hear someone needs to raise money, I offer to help.” In addition, she is involved with a group of women via Social Media called The Company of Women.
She says that they are a group of women that promote Faith in the field. The “field” could be their home, community, or market place. She has found that the Company of Women has helped her to have the faith and courage to raise this $21,000.00.
Bonnie loves the South Bay mostly for its beaches. “I love beaches so much! I could stay near the coast all day long,” she says. She makes a constant effort to live each day full of Joy and says in the midst of chaos, she chooses joy.
Bonnie, thank you for being a wonderful member of the South Bay community and giving young children hope again through jewels!
“Something has always drawn me into the inner city of the South Bay. I have a huge heart for the homeless community and those that are down and out. Honestly, I just want to make a difference in the community and globally.”
– Bonnie Orona