See It: The Community being helped
Hello, my name is Alex. I started making pens more than two years ago when I was 12. It all began with a pen making class held at a local woodcraft store near my hometown. I remember coming home that evening wanting to make a few more. Well that wish has certainly been fulfilled! Within a short time after taking the class, my dad brought home a small lathe for my younger brother and me to turn out a few more pens. I’ve made other things before like model cars, airplanes, and robots, but these were all kits where the pieces are premade and the finished project was just like the picture showed. My pens were unique, each one is different than the one before even though they all started as a simple block of wood. I started really experimenting on the lath and turning pens of all shapes and styles. I gave pens to everyone I knew who wanted one and the more I made, the more I liked the craft and the more people seeing my pens, the more request I received. During this time, a family friend Lisette Reyes, was sick with cancer. I would overhear my parents talking about the subject and listen to the challenges this young girl went through. This is when I knew how to help. My pens! Everyone needs one – and it seemed everyone wants the ones I make. So I made up as many pens as I had parts for and asked my dad if he would take them to his work and sell. The pens were all gone in the first day. I presented the money and a special pen to Lisette’s Uncle to help out with the extra cost. I’ve come to find out there are so many extra cost being so sick. Well, more people at my dad’s office wanted their own pen. I was feeling pretty good about this now but had to figure out a way to buy more pen kits and where to get the wood. I don’t have a table saw, not that my dad would let me use one being only 12, but I did know about Ebay and entered a simple search for pen blanks. Bingo! I found my wood. My first pieces came free. I would send an email to different sellers explaining what I was doing and ask for free pieces to help me out. Many kind people did send some pieces to me and I thanked them all. I sold a few more batches of pens at my dad’s workplace. Friends and family wanted my pens for gifts to others and living in other states presented a challenge. This is how AlexanderPens.com came to be. Logan, my younger brother had taken a class over the summer at the local community college on website design, so I asked him to help me build a website. My mom and dad helped too with getting a paypal account set up for me. I was excited when my first web order came in from my grandmother and then other family and friends. The big surprise to me was when I received an order from someone no one in my family knew. How cool! I always feel what I am doing is fun and simply a great way to help other along the way. My dad has always said “It’s easy to make money. It’s what you do with it that counts.” Well, I am beginning to understand a little more of that phrase every day. I’m glad to be able to create these pens and donate the money to my friends and organizations that help my friends. It’s a great feeling for me to not only make these pens, but to be able to make a difference in someone else’s life. Lisette recently lost her fight with cancer and she will always be in my thoughts as someone special. I have found new kids to help and will continue to make pens for as long as I can turn things around.
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Vital Stats
| Started On: | 6/1/2005 | Ended On: | |
| People Involved: | 1 | People Impacted: | 3 families assisted to date and countless friends and extended family members |
| Money Raised: | more than $1000 | | |
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Project Updates:
After receiving the grant, my mom and me put up a special web page on AlexanderPens.com for our sponsored child Eva, with a goal of being able to raise enough money to help Eva with a wheel chair over the summer. We contacted everyone we knew to get the word out. Normally, during the school year, I only am able to make a few pens on the weekends, but having the whole summer off let me create pens the day the orders came in. Our local newspaper, The Observer, featured my Do Something Award win right on the front page! That was awesome and let me have some home town exposure bringing in a few more orders. By summer’s end I had made so many pens and raised over $600 dollars which we passed along for Eva. This whole experience has been fun and I am humbled by the true generosity of our neighbors.
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