If you're reading this, it means you've almost made it through 2020. Congratulations! That in itself is quite an accomplishment.
Along with a global pandemic, 2020 brought a wide variety of challenges.
In the midst of chaos, however, many also thrived. Some started businesses to help us deal with the pandemic. People discovered new ways to connect and became more in tune. We figured out ways to stay connected even while physically distancing.
Being forced to slow the pace of life allowed many of us to reflect on what truly makes us happy and fulfilled. One of the positive things that came from this year is many of our members report that financially, business is booming. Because we are spending so much more time at home, people are investing in their domiciles, doing renovation work, and redesigning their living spaces to accommodate a new way of life.
Anecdotally, we've heard many stories of how people started decorating for the holidays early this year. While we may not be able to have the same large, extended family gatherings we are used to, the coronavirus can't kill our spirit.
VERANDA - Wreaths of fresh greenery add a seasonal flourish to the front doors; 19th-century French lantern; walls painted in Ivory Porcelain, Benjamin MooreMELANIE ACEVEDO
In this newsletter, we'll pay homage to a design and philanthropic legend, and tell you how you can help those most in need this holiday season. We'll also introduce you to our very first DSA Design 360° Award winners!
We hope everyone has a safe, healthy, and happy December. We will see you in 2021!
Natasha Lima-Younts
Loyalty Ambassador
Designer Society of America
Announcing Our First DSA Design 360° Award Winners!
DSA recently launched a contest where we requested headshots and links to online designer
profiles. We sorted through all of the contestants and explored what the most successful designers were doing
differently.
The thing that set these designers apart was a 360° business model, including good
design
practices,
professional photos, a daringness to be different, and a strong social media presence.
This inspired us to title our contest award, the DSA Design 360° Award.
Ann Getty with her Goldendoodles, Yankee and Dandee, and Perpetua, a mixed breed. photo by: Melanie Acevedo
Tribute to a Legend
Legendary philanthropist, paleoanthropologist, interior designer, and publisher
Ann Getty passed in September, but since Christmas was her favorite holiday, we wanted to remember her during this special time.
Getty came from humble beginnings but married into one of America's richest families. She could have easily never worked another day in her life; instead, she chose to use her privilege for good, becoming a cultural benefactor for the city of San Francisco and sitting on the boards of such iconic institutions as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Public Library, and New York University.
In an interview with former San Francisco Chronicle society columnist Catherine Bigelow, she said “I wear Levi's every day because I go down in the trenches. I grew up believing that one needs to work all day, and I still do.”
According to Feeding America, a nonprofit that provides food to people in need through a nationwide network of food banks, the majority of network food banks report seeing a record increase in the number of people needing help, with an average increase of 60% across the country. Between March and June 2020, 4 in 10 people visiting food banks had not received food assistance before the pandemic. The organization expects a supply gap of 8 million meals needed to feed our neighbors this winter.
Below is a list of reputable organizations providing food relief. If you are blessed enough to give a little extra this season, please consider them.
