APO members will sell accessories for Nicaraguan children

The University of Richmond's service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, will sell handmade accessories in the Tyler Haynes Commons to raise money for Granada Street Kids on Feb. 19-21 and March 19-21.

Granada Street Kids is a non-profit organization that finds homeless boys in Nicaragua and gives them a place to live and an education, said senior Amanda Minnitte, president of APO. The employees also feed and clothe the middle-school to high-school-aged boys, said junior Kelly Kurz, secretary of APO.

Granada Street Kids raises funds by selling accessories handmade by the boys during a craft hour at school, Minnitte said. They send these goods to different organizations that provides volunteers to help sell them to make money for the program, she said.

This is APOs second year working with Granada Street Kids, Minnitte said. Last year, its members raised $1,300 for the non-profit organization, which went toward the maintenance of the school, as well as toward resources to allow it to take more children off the streets, she said.

APO members sold almost 500 bracelets and earrings in the span of one week, Kurz said. With that success, APO is expanding the fundraiser this year to two weeks.

The same hand-woven bracelets, seed bracelets and seed earrings will be for sale this year, but there will also be hand-woven coin purses, shoulder bags, necklaces and a greater variety of bracelets and earrings, Minnitte said.

APO will man a table in the commons for two weeks. There will be three members of the service fraternity at all times from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., he said.

The accessories will cost between $3 to $6, said senior Astoria Aviles, the conferences and fundraising chairwoman for APO.

I've had mine for a year now," Kurz said as he showed his bracelet that he wears as an ankle bracelet. "Every time someone asks me where I got it from, I can say it's from the Granada Street Kids and tell them about the website and their story."

Contact reporter Mia Webber at mia.webber@richmond.edu