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photo by Corey Miller
Michael Fagan, Williamsburg Jewelers
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photo by Corey Miller
For as little as $5 patrons can purchase gently-used costume jewelry and in doing so support local charities.
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photo by Corey Miller
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photo by Corey Miller
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photo by Corey Miller
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photo by Corey Miller
Williamsburg Jewelers offers custom designed jewelry as well as an extensive collection of name brand estate and consignment jewelry.
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photo by Corey Miller
Throughout 2019, Michael Fagan has helped raise money for nine charities in and around Greater Williamsburg through a donation program he started at his jewelry store, Williamsburg Jewelers.
Customers and people within the community visit the store to donate gently used jewelry items they may have fallen out of love with or outgrown. Those donations are staged on two large tables on the left side of the store for guests to see. The items are available for a $5 donation each. The designated charity of the month is listed on a sign displayed in a plastic table stand. Fagan says fashion jewelry donations come in from a few pieces up to several pounds.
“Guests bring me Ziploc bags full and sometimes even recyclable grocery store bags that have eight, 10 or 12 pounds or more of costume jewelry,” said Fagan.
Regardless of the recommended donation amounts, he says people will come to the store, choose something they like and donate more for the pieces.
“I’ve had people give me $100 on two different occasions for an individual item. The item was not necessarily worth $100, but they gave that to me because they believed in that charity so much,” he said. “I think it says a lot about our community and the nature of people in Williamsburg.”
He estimates that he’s donated $4,600 since kicking off the program last February.
“We’ve raised a significant amount of money and definitely helped some people. I’ve heard from several people in the charity organizations and they’ve told me how this money has been put to good use for them,” he said.
Fagan chose the first charity himself but says that since then other organizations have gotten wind of his program, and they’ve sent representatives to him seeking to take part. He continues to add organizations to an ever-growing list as more nonprofits look to partner with Williamsburg Jewelers.
“The first organization I partnered with was Heritage Humane Society. I’m friends with the director, so I was confident it would be an easy ‘partnership.’ And I just knew that I would love to do something to benefit them,” Fagan said.
“Since then, I’ve had people come in and they would say, ‘Hey Michael, I’m part of this organization, and we’d love to work with you on this as well,’” he said.
So far, he’s been able to commit without turning anyone away. He does have a qualifying requirement he uses to vet each organization: references.
“I ask people to give me a couple of contact names and phone numbers in the organization so we can stay on top of it,” he said. “I want to make sure it’s a legitimate organization we’re donating to and that there’s a legitimate need. So far, for everyone who’s approached me, that’s absolutely been the case. It’s worked out really well so far.”
He also encourages the charities to participate during their donation month by letting their social media fan base and existing donors know they’re collaborating with Williamsburg Jewelers. This allows for a greater reach and helps the organizations take a level of ownership in the program.
“If I’m completely relied upon to promote the event, well, my reach is limited. I have around 2,300 people that follow my store on Facebook currently, which is a lot, but it helps when the charity shares it, too,” said Fagan.
Fagan says the program benefits everyone involved: the jewelry donors, the organizations he supports and the purchasers.
“I feel like it’s a win for everybody. For the person donating, not only are they helping people, but they’re decluttering, and everybody loves that feeling. And then the people that are actually taking the items home with them, well, they’ve just given some cash to help a charity, so they feel good about that. And they’re going home with a piece of jewelry that’s a new treasure to them... It’s fun to them,” he said.
To learn more about Williamsburg Jewelers’ donation program contact owner Michael Fagan at michael@williamsburgjewelers.com or 757-206-1100.
