By Denise Gary
Photographs © Robert Gary
With a unique vision and gracious spirit, urban blacksmith Marisa Grieco has transformed strips of copper into a one-of-a-kind collection of cuffs and bookmarks, each crafted exclusively for Kids Need to Read in support of the KNTR Peace Pack book collection and the Kids-N-Peace literacy program. Every one of these artisanal copper designs is handcrafted to be as individual as the children we serve and are only available through Kids Need to Read.
Marisa’s bracelets have carried a message of peace since their inception, originating as a creative solution to help her oldest daughter cope with bullying: “The charms I design (Dead Charms) are all about protecting kids. It started out that kids would use them at night to help them sleep. But when Skylar started getting bullied at school I made her a bracelet to make her feel courage and safe to be herself.”
Among the children we serve, a shocking number cite bullying as a key factor when considering dropping out of school entirely. KNTR Peace Packs are designed to support literacy education, as well as help students cope with bullying, learn peaceful conflict resolution techniques, and develop effective leadership skills.
With every purchase of a Marisa Grieco peace bracelet or bookmark, you are not only buying a uniquely beautiful work of art, you are also directly helping Kids Need to Read to further develop our Kids-N-Peace program and provide Peace Packs to schools across the nation.
Purchase “Marisa Grieco, Urban Blacksmith” Copper Peace Products
