ALL GLORY GOES TO GOD — MY CEO THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROJECT.
As many of you know, adoption is a huge part of the Stachak story. My brother Andrew was adopted from Paraguay and I was adopted out of Toledo, Ohio. I am forever grateful to my biological mother for giving me the gift of life and to my parents, Stan & Maryellen Stachak for the gift of adoption and an amazing childhood. In memory of my mother, Maryellen Stachak (who passed away in 2000) I am so excited to launch this sweatshirt line Bella Vita!! Bella Vita is an Italian phrase for “beautiful life”. This sweatshirt line is a way to continue Maryellen’s beautiful life & legacy including her faith, values, and her service to help other mothers and children in our community.
We have 3 GOALS for this sweatshirt line:
- To remind you… YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL (Psalm 139:14).
- To remind you… YOU HAVE PURPOSE (Jeremiah 29:11)
- TO GIVE BACK TO THE Pregnancy Center of Toledo
50% of every sweatshirt sold will benefit the Pregnancy Center of Toledo’s free education and resources for mothers and fathers with unexpected pregnancies including pregnancy tests, ultra sounds, parenting mentorship, parenting classes, adoption advocacy, baby supplies, bible studies and so much more so we can strengthen families and communities in the Toledo area.
This sweatshirt line is a dream come true SPECIAL THANKS to some talented girl bosses and local businesses in the Toledo Community:
First and foremost to Savannah Marten (her remarks at a special event earlier this year inspired this sweatshirt line) & Ashley Shaffer for allowing me to partner with the Pregnancy Center. Ashley has been my main contact and from the beginning, she has encouraged, inspired and helped Bella Vita come to life.
Fashion Designer, Mary Vando for mentoring me and ensuring I picked a quality sweatshirt that is ethically made so you can feel good about wearing your sweatshirt!
Presenting Sponsor: my talented hair stylist, Carly Rae with her new salon, Salon Rae for hosting our photo shoot, styling the models hair and being a great friend to bounce ideas off of while launching a business.
Video Sponsor: Ellen with GoldenWood Visuals was an amazing partner throughout this journey. She did an amazing job with our promo video, education video and overall helping with the vision for photo shoot and communications with marketing!
Photography Sponsor: Stacey Carter with Love is Greater Photography for capturing our vision effortlessly and creating beautiful photos/moments with our sweatshirts!
Makeup Sponsor: Jenelle Ahmad for her time and talent providing makeup to all our models. Jenelle took the time to squeeze us in while she had a full packed day and we are so grateful for her kind heart and beautiful services! She also did our makeup for my best friend, Nicole’s wedding day!
Food Sponsor: CoreLife Eatery in Maumee for providing nutrition and food to energize ALL our models and volunteers that day. We all thoroughly enjoyed our salads and bowls!
And last but not least…. Underground Printing in Ann Arbor for bringing our sweatshirts to life! Danny Szopo has been a great partner helping us find the right sweatshirt at the right price, effectively communicating & sharing updates in the most timely manner. Thank you!
