Eunice Reyes, a local entrepreneur and member of Volunteer Park Church in Seattle, Wash., knew from an early age that she wanted to one day be a part of the fashion industry. In June 2017, Reyes and her cousin, Melissa Reyes, co-founded Le Foodie/The Food Tee, a fashion T-shirt line that allowed the two cousins to share their love of food and fashion.
“I found myself searching for more when I stumbled upon a touching story about a Lebanese woman who designed handbags to provide underprivileged women with work,” says Eunice Reyes.
The act of charity through work is what motivated Reyes to pray that day and ask God to give her an opportunity to one day use her fashion skills toward a similar cause. With her co-founded company, she decided she would give 10 percent of profits to charities such as Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Cooking Matters, which works to ensure kids have the healthy food they need each day.
“Honestly, tithe was the first thing that came to my mind. I figured if it's a good number for God to reference, then it should be a good reference when giving back,” explains Reyes.
Reyes most recently partnered with the Maasai Development Project (MDP), an Adventist nonprofit that rescues Kenyan girls from early circumcision and other difficult circumstances. For the girls in their program, MDP offers schooling and development so that they can further their education.
Tomonik is one such girl in the MDP who inspired Reyes because she too is an aspiring entrepreneur. After graduating from secondary school, Tomonik began baking bread in a coal oven MDP had in its center.
Her passion for breadmaking grew with her skills, and she began selling bread in her village and has since gained popularity. Tomonik has fallen in love with the business of baking and now wants to open a bakery.
“Le Foodie identifies with Tomonik’s aspiration to start a business, and we understand that it comes with challenges, especially financial challenges,” says Reyes. “We wanted to help her in the small way that we can.”
In partnership with MDP, Le Foodie started the “Baker’s Delight" campaign, through which 20 percent of profits will help Tomonik start her bakery.
“So far, I have paired up with some popular bakers in Seattle, such as Hello Robin and Raining Cookies,” says Reyes. “When I reached out to them about the project, all of them loved the idea and were happy to get on board with raising awareness and funds in any way they could.”
Reyes is passionate about organizations committed to teaching healthy cooking and nutrition to children and low-income families and looks forward to more opportunities to help nonprofits raise awareness of their mission all while financially partnering with God.
Through the Maasai Development Project, Tomonik fell in love with baking and wants to open her own bakery.
Julia is the owner of Raining Cookies, a local bakery partnering with Le Foodie in support of the "Baker's Delight" campaign.
Eunice Reyes is passionate about raising awareness for missions through her foodie-focused T-shirt company.
Emily Allport, founder of Lowrider Baking Co., hosted a cookie giveaway to help support the "Baker's Delight" campaign.
Eunice Reyes (left) and her cousin Melissa Reyes (right) are passionate about raising awareness for missions.
