Artistry For A Cause

Most women on their birthdays hope for a new dress, a spa package, or a weekend with friends. Sueanne Shirzay gave herself a present that would continue to give throughout the years and benefit women in need of jewelry and in need of help.   

Taking her online jewelry line, Sueanne Shirzay Jewelry, Shirzay developed an artisan boutique, called What We Did 4 Love, curating items that would showcase various artists and benefit a charity.  

"I wanted to take on a new venture and give a present to myself this year," said Shirzay, who lives in Lido Beach. "What We Did 4 Love is something I had wanted to do for years."

Donating 10 percent of all sales to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, she expanded beyond her jewelry line to include work from artists such as Tina Tang and Beth Lerner, so that her site could feature a variety of handmade items, including soap, prints and fine arts, in order to appeal to a broader audience.  

"Sueanne is great," said Tomas Howie, the Fine Art Artist on Shirzay's site. "She's a terrific supporter for fellow artists and others in the community. I've know several people who've been involved in domestic violence, so this is a great thing that I'm happy to be a part of."

Though Shirzay has never been a victim of domestic violence, her interest to work with the hotline came when she was introduced to someone who worked for the hotline. After donating a necklace to the organization, she quickly recognized the attention it gained and decided to take action. 

"I just felt like this organization was not well represented," she said. "Nobody wants to talk about domestic violence."

Soap maker Rachel Figueroa-Levin jumped at the chance to help bolster the organization’s image as well. Getting involved through Twitter, Levin created two soaps for the site, peppermint tea and rose water, to be sold exclusively for the charity.

"Using my art to help a fantastic cause makes me feel great," Levin said. "One in 4 women are victims of this behavior so it's not something that should be ignored. This hotline saves lives and, for me, that's enough to help it."