Anna Marie & JimFinding Value in What Others Discard

Woodworkers · Family enterprise · Employers

Anna Marie and Jim together outside their workshop — Photo 01 · L1030207-2

Twenty-five years side by side

For more than 25 years, Anna Marie and her husband Jim have worked side by side, building a business that has helped support their four children in Cebu.

Their livelihood begins with something others have discarded. They buy rejected wood from local lumber yards and transform it into necklaces, bracelets and other handmade crafts. What began as a small family enterprise in 2000 has grown into a busy workshop producing thousands of pieces for customers across the Philippines.

Wood being drilled in the workshop — Photo 07 · DSCF0404

The shoreline beside Anna Marie and Jim's workshop — Photo 02 · L1030227

Jim shaping wood on a grinding wheel — Photo 06 · DSCF0366-2

Wooden pieces being shaped at a drill press — Photo 09 · L1030069

A sack of unfinished wooden beads — Photo 10 · L1030058

A worker cutting reclaimed wood — Photo 12 · L1030164(1)

A family enterprise that supports others

Along the way, their success has created opportunities for others. Today, they employ four regular workers, along with local people who assemble necklaces from home, earning additional income for their families. It's a reminder that even a relatively small business can have an impact beyond the people who own it.

Finished wooden necklaces made by the family enterprise — Photo 14 · DSCF0468

The next investment

But keeping the workshop running requires constant investment. Some of their machinery is old and worn, and replacing it is expensive. With the help of a Lendwithcare loan, Anna Marie hopes to purchase more raw materials and a new machine, allowing them to increase production and meet growing demand.

Anna Marie among the finished wooden necklaces — Photo 13 · L1030126-2(1)

Something of value

Through years of hard work and resourcefulness, Anna Marie and Jim have turned discarded wood into a livelihood that supports their family and provides opportunities for others in their community.