Lone Star Monarchs and Rustic Cuff present Pajamas for Seniors Over $100,000 in Donations of New Pajamas in Support of its Easter Event 2022

(Featured photo: Jacqueline Griffin, Cindi Tesseneer, Dr. Carla Russo, founder, Lone Star Monarchs; Jo Alch, Executive Director, Pajamas for Seniors; Regina Bruce, a founder, Lone Star Monarchs; Cynde Seskes, Jeanne Lewis, Kimberly Elliott.)*

It was a beautiful day at the warehouse as Dallas-based Lone Star Monarchs, in collaboration with Jill Donovan, founder of Rustic Cuff, presented Jo Alch, founder of Pajamas for Seniors, with over $101,500+ in donations of cash and new adult pajamas in support of its upcoming Easter Event 2022 benefiting low-income seniors living in nursing homes and assisted living. 
        

That total included Lone Star Monarchs’ founders Regina Bruce and Dr. Carla Russo presenting a donation of a $5,000 check plus $2,500+ worth of new pajamas, and $94,000+ worth of new pajamas donated by Rustic Cuff. 
       

Lone Star Monarchs’ volunteers Kimberly Elliott and Jason Spangler drove a moving truck to Rustic Cuff’s location in Tulsa, OK where boxes of pajamas were loaded. They were brought back to Dallas to sort and prepare to surprise Jo Alch and her team with this huge windfall, along with other special surprises, to help these seniors as part of Pajamas for Seniors upcoming Easter plans. 
        

During the formal presentation, Carla and Regina, along with a team of other Lone Star Monarchs’ volunteers, which included Kimberly Elliott, Jacqueline Griffin, Jeanne Lewis, Kunthear Mam-Douglas, Cynthia Seskes and Cindi Tesseneer, presented the donations to Pajamas for Seniors. In addition, Regina presented Jo with a book Jill Donovan authored entitled “The Kindness Effect,” which Jill personally autographed to Jo.
        

As the boxes and boxes of pajamas were loaded into the moving truck, the afternoon concluded with warm hugs and other expressions of gratitude and thanks for the blessings and abundant gifts brought forth by so many generous and kind-hearted people who had come together in support of these low income seniors, who have given so much to the community. 

To learn more about the Lone Star Monarchs, visit the website at www.LoneStarMonarchs.org and Pajamas for Seniors at www.pajamasforseniors.org

Lone Star Monarchs Mission:
To inspire and nurture the human spirit, as together, we build an effective network of individuals and organizations to support a broad spectrum of charitable organizations in Dallas and throughout Texas.  Lone Star Monarchs’ purpose is exclusively educational and charitable to connect people and enrich lives. Lone Star Monarchs is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
www.LoneStarMonarchs.org   FB @LoneStarMonarchs IG @lonestarmonarchs/

Pajamas for Seniors Mission:
We believe that ALL seniors deserve to be loved and recognized as valuable contributors to our society. They have helped raise us. They have been our teachers, our neighbors and our cherished family members. Our mission at Pajamas for Seniors is to return that love and kindness one pajama at a time. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit serving DFW. With your support, we can make a difference! www.pajamasforseniors.org FB @pajamasforseniors  IG @pajamasforseniorsdfw

About Rustic Cuff:
What feels like the end is often the beginning. Jill Donovan’s need for a creative outlet and her lifelong obsession with cuff bracelets turned into more than she ever dreamed. An opportunity landed her on the Oprah show where her practice of regifting was challenged by etiquette experts. Jill turned tragedy into triumph and taught herself to make cuffs to gift instead.  Jill gave them to friends, family, and some celebrities.
        

In March 2015, a Rustic Cuff bracelet that Jill had given to Gayle King was worn by Oprah herself on the cover of her O, The Oprah Magazine®. A regift from Gayle to Oprah? In November 2016, the Rustic Cuff Dallas 1/2” Metallic Stingray was named as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things of 2016. For Jill, these are both the best full-circle moments!
        

Today, Jill’s inspiration comes from being mom to Ireland and August, AKA Peanut. She attributes the brand’s success to her amazingly loyal friends from all across the country. Known for her big heart and generous spirit, Jill strives to inspire these traits in others and loves hearing new stories from women who are moved to gift the cuff off of their own wrists. For Jill, it’s not about the bracelet, but the connection that is made between two people, often strangers, in that moment. Spontaneous moments. Full of hope and love, tears and laughter. The birth of Rustic Cuff may have stemmed from regifting gone wrong. But the ripple effect is regifting gone right.  https://www.rusticcuff.com/pages/the-story-of-rustic-cuff

Donation Brief History, From Regina Bruce:
A fortuitous meeting occurred at the Baylor University Women’s Council Fall Luncheon where I hosted several of the Lone Star Monarchs supporters. Jill Donovan, founder of Rustic Cuff, was the featured speaker. 
        

Following the conclusion of the event, Dr. Carla Russo and I were introduced to Jill, and we were given the opportunity to share that we were chairing the upcoming Pajamas for Seniors Inaugural Gala in November and asked her to help with a silent auction donation. 
        

Jill was intrigued and wanted more information about this event and the organization we were championing.  She told us that she has a huge heart for seniors, especially disadvantaged seniors.  It was then that she asked us how we got the pajamas we were able to donate, and we told her that they were donated in-kind by friends and family or purchased with cash donations. 
        

Much to our complete surprise and absolute delight, Jill said she had a warehouse full of pajamas and she would generously donate them to help us move the mission forward.  You see, she had decided to discontinue selling clothing and focus entirely on jewelry instead.  The timing was perfect, and we believe God put us in the right place at the right time in our pursuit to make a difference in the lives of these sweet seniors. 
        

At the Pajamas for Seniors Inaugural Gala, Carla and I announced that we had formed a new nonprofit organization called Lone Star Monarchs and that Jill Donovan of Rustic Cuff would be giving us $50,000 worth of pajamas to distribute to Pajamas for Seniors. 
        

Following Christmas break, Rustic Cuff’s staff completed a full inventory, and the results indicated that Rustic Cuff would be donating an additional $44,000 for a total of $94,000 to help low-income seniors. In the following months, the Lone Star Monarchs added donations of a $5,000 check plus $2,500+ worth of new pajamas, for a grand total of $101,500+ in donations for Pajamas for Seniors.

*Photos by Danny Campbell
(This Philanthropy Lifestyles Scene courtesy Lone Star Monarchs.)