The VP Gift | Thoughtful & Unique Gifts for Leaders

Historical Gift sent to the White House representing the 2M Veteran Women in the US.

AMOR Umbrella, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering military veterans and women, recently presented a unique gift to the White House on behalf of over 2 million veteran women in the US.

A Heartfelt Collaboration

The idea originated from Makissa Lewis, a veteran and founder of My Seester, during her appearance on AMOR Umbrella’s podcast, Founder Time (episode #16). She proposed sending a signature heart-shaped umbrella (AMOR Umbrella’s signature product) to the White House, representing the significant population of women veterans in Florida, the 3rd largest in the nation.

Inspired by the suggestion, AMOR Umbrella founder (and veteran herself) embarked on a year-long journey to make it a reality. Throughout the year, they collaborated with various organizations to host events and gather signatures from women veterans across the state.

One such event was an afternoon retreat at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami, offering veterans a chance to relax and connect.

Symbol of Gratitude and Support

The signed heart-shaped umbrella symbolizes the immense gratitude and unwavering support for America’s brave female veterans. Each signature represents a powerful story of courage, strength, and resilience.

Celebrating Diversity and Sacrifice

AMOR Umbrella prioritized meeting women veterans from the Reserve Guard to ensure all branches of the military were represented. These face-to-face interactions provided a deeper understanding of their unique experiences and challenges.

Uniquely Crafted Gift

The gift itself was a meticulously crafted mixed-media art piece featuring the signed red heart-shaped umbrella. This year-long project transformed an entrepreneurial class project into a movement celebrating the rich cultural diversity of women veterans.

We are proud to have sent the Historical Thanksgiving Gift to the White House for our Vice President, created with the intention of representing our 2M+ women veterans in unity. This gift was the result of collaboration between Civilian Minorities and Veteran Small Owned Businesses, demonstrating the power of working together towards a common goal.

The Historical Thanksgiving Gift serves as a symbol of gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices made by our women veterans. It is our hope that this gift will raise awareness and honor the contributions of all women who have served in the military.

Join us in recognizing the significant impact that women have had on our armed forces, and in celebrating their achievements. Together, we can show our support for all women veterans and ensure that their contributions are never forgotten.

We can now say:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

The Historical Thanksgiving Gift was mailed roughly at 620 AM on Friday 19 Nov 2021.

Curious note: The post office were we mailed from is steps away from the original Boston Tea Party.

Address: 306 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210, USA

Showcasing Veteran-Owned Businesses

The gift’s creation involved collaboration between civilian minorities and veteran-owned small businesses, highlighting the power of working together.

A Gift Steeped in Meaning

The gift included several symbolic elements:

A two-colored Tenugui Cloth (purple and gold) representing the Purple Heart Award, designed by Nefertiti San Miguel & Etnia Fusion + Friends.
A handmade black leather traveling case, designed by Niurka Castaneda & Nefertiti San Miguel and crafted by veteran Donald Dodson (Dodson Designs).
A two-part Origami Scrapbook designed by Nefertiti San Miguel and Danigami.
A set of custom wooden military tags by veteran Frank Manteau (Kamikaze Wood Werks).
A photo-journal by Niurka Castaneda documenting the creation process.

A Lasting Legacy

AMOR Umbrella’s initiative not only honors the sacrifices of women veterans but also empowers and celebrates their unique stories and contributions. This gift serves as a lasting reminder of their service and the importance of supporting those who defend our nation.

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Collaborators

This initiative would not have been possible without the invaluable guidance and support of countless individuals, both publicly recognized and those who wish to remain anonymous. We extend our deepest gratitude for their unwavering commitment and significant contributions.

To ensure you have a complete understanding of this remarkable journey, we will continue to update this page with additional information, photos, and stories.

To bring this extraordinary gift to fruition, I am thrilled to embark on a personal journey to Boston, MA to meet our new friends and collaborators, whose exceptional talents and expertise were vital to the success of this project. Our goal was to represent the rich diversity of our female veterans, and every aspect of the gift carries significant meaning.

With great care and attention to detail, we have created something truly special, and we are excited to share it with you. Together, we have made a meaningful difference in the lives of our veteran women, and we invite you to join us in celebrating their strength and sacrifice.

Meet the Veterans

Frank Manteau
Kamikaze Wood Werks

Andy Nelson, Fortis LLP

Niurka Castaneda,
AMOR umbrella Founder

Donal Dodson,
Dodson Design

Meet Niurka Castaneda at AMOR umbrella

Niurka is a veteran and the founder of AMOR Umbrella

Meet Frank Manteau at Kamikaze Wood Werks

Frank joined the United States Marine Corps right out of high school. As 7 1/2 years of service he entered back into the civilian sector where he has held many position from security, bounty hunter, auto parts sales, scare actor, haunted trail director, wed designer, heavy equipment shop service writer, wood shop owner, and many others.

He is the owner of both Kamikaze Wood Werks and Crayons Ready-to-Eat.

He is also in the treats business. 4 years ago he and his business partner Cassandra turned the joke of calling Marines Crayon Eater into a reality by bring the first colorable chocolate crayon to market. They created Crayons Ready-to-Eat.

Meet Andy Nelson at Fortis LLP

There were so many parties involved in this effort that we turned to the best legal advisor that we know and trust when comes to any legal matters, he is not only a brilliant Attorney at Fortis LLP, but a veteran as well.

Meet Donal Dodson at Dodson Designs

He is a veteran and the owner of Dodson Designs where he crafts fine handmade leather goods with a creative flair. A life-long artisan who loves sharing his interests with others, he has explored many arts including jewelry, printmaking, pottery, woodworking, and painting, all of which he uses in his current work. He is most passionate about creating something that is not only artistic, interesting, and creative; but something that has an inherent practical use to the client.

He is Donald has been a graphic artist, web designer, and high school history teacher. Donald is a combat veteran and served for 20 years. He started Dodson Designs in 2016 and never looked back. He lives near Lancaster, PA with his wife, and two dogs.

Meet Etnia Fusion + Friends

Danigami, Origamist

Vincent Liu, Artist

Nefertiti San Miguel, Etnia Fusion + Friend Founder

Nancy Griftin, Multimedia Artist

Meet Nefertiti San Miguel

Nefertiti San Miguel is the embodiment of passion, a vivid advocate for the arts, neuroscience and mental health. As an international mixed-media artist, Ikebanist, performer, speaker, entrepreneur, published author and trailblazer, she raises eyebrows across numerous industries. With a reputation for rocking her eclectic style, Nefertiti is the founder of Etnia Fusion, a Boston based small enterprise dedicated to promoting and cultivating multiculturalism through educational programs, functional/wearable art and dance.

She is the creator of the community project What Is Your Reality? and guide From Chaos To Calmness. She’s been featured on radio and television programs, web series, YouTube Channels, newspapers and magazines across the nation, and in recent years has been garnering international attention through podcasts from New Zealand, Canada and Australia. Since 2021, Nefertiti has been sharing her talents with AmorUmbrella, a Veterans Organization serving military women transitioning into civilian life and the business world. Her current endeavors include: teaching her method of art installations NM3 (Narrative Multi-Sensory Mixed Media Art) as therapeutic activity for stress management and 3D Vision Board for life achievers. Her personal time is spent unplugging from big city living, exploring the world, and getting naturally high on extreme sports.

Meet Danigami

Danigami is an award winning Origamist who has been practicing his craft for more than 15 years. He enjoys showing young and old alike that anything is possible through the Japanese art of paper-folding. He has been featured artist at several gallery exhibits but his real joy comes with selling his wares at local craft fairs and interacting with all walks of life.

He currently resides in Winthrop (MA) with his husband, holds a full time job as 911 dispatcher at the Boston Police Station and since 2015 has been sharing his talents intermittently with Nefertiti San Miguel & Etnia Fusion + Friends. Danigami and Nefertiti not only have in common a lifetime dedication to cultivating different Nipponese art forms but also they bond in a special way over the same fondness for Halloween Season and appreciation of Asian aesthetics.

Meet Vincent Liu

Vincent Liu (also fondly known as Mr. Nutty in the Etnia Fusion world) is a vivid portraitist and videographer, pursuing a graduate degree in the field of Digital Media Design at Harvard University. Through his creativity and exploration of innovative concepts, he aims to transcend the artistic world with technological platforms. When not absorbed in the dynamics and intricacies of computer syntax Vincent enjoys conceptualizing ideas for short films and capturing the beauty of urban society in his sketchbook. He is the most recent addition to Etnia Fusion + Friends

As creative individuals Vincent and Nefertiti (Founder of Etnia Fusion + Friends) naturally connected immediately as a synergy of artistic energy flowed through them upon first encounter back in Spring of 2020. Ever since, the two have enjoyed their friendship immensely as they have shared some holidays together and frequently engage in exciting excursions throughout the city of Boston in search of decadent culinary experiences and spirit drinks. Those outings have been named: Destination Unknown…

Meet Nancy Griftin

Nancy Griffin is a consummate multimedia artist, a professional fashion and costume designer / creator and consultant for stage, screen, weddings, and special events. These talents grew out of her vocation as a performer and teacher of traditional Near / Middle Eastern and Hawaiian cultural dance. Since 2017 she has been a beloved member of Etnia Fusion + Friends. In 2022, she will be celebrating 40 years in the fashion and entertainment industry!

She is a choreographer, writer, producer, and director of professional performances, for both group and solo format. She is a repeat performer in Canada, the East and West Coasts of the continental US, The Big Island of Hawai’i, and Oahu. She’s always in anticipation of new and wonderful opportunities in creation, education and sharing insights in her journeys!

The journey of the gift for the VP was just the beginning of our mission to honor and empower the 2M+ veteran women who have served our country – a remarkable 10% of our overall veteran population.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the many individuals, organizations, veterans, and supporters who joined forces to bring this vision to life. Your unwavering commitment and dedication have inspired us to launch a movement that celebrates and uplifts the stories and achievements of our female veterans.

As we reflect on the year-long effort invested in this project, we will share more pictures that capture the epic collaboration and tireless work that went into it. We invite you to join us in continuing to elevate the voices and contributions of our veteran women, as we work towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all.

What our contributors said?

This was a project unlike any other I have completed. Nefertiti and I began our four-hour preliminary planning meeting to discuss basic concepts; followed by couple of trips to shop for fabrics. We, then spent three hours applying design concepts and modifying them. Continued by three hours of cutting, lining up, and pinning the fabrics we chose. It took four hours to construct and finish sewing various pieces and parts of the final designs, by hand and by machine. I invested a total of fourteen active hours on this project. I'm not counting time invested in a myriad of phone calls and visits between Nefertiti, Niurka, and I because there's no way of tallying that. It was an exciting, technical, challenging and at times frustrating process but we did it!

Happy and proud of what we accomplished!

We celebrated the culmination of all our hard work here at my home in New Hampshire with an autumn dinner which I had prepared: A homegrown squash, apple, onion, and carrot cream bisque, followed by garden salad and roasted chicken, with coffee and homemade sugar cookies for dessert. After this brief respite, we then spent three hours in my dance studio compiling and dressing the set, filming and taking stills of displays and welcoming Hawaiian ceremonial chants and prayers by Nefertiti and myself, along with festive remarks by all three of us. This was a fantastic and gratifying way to wrap up the most memorable of projects!

Mentions in the Press

Would you like to collaborate with us in putting together the next gift initiative representing our military families?

AMOR Umbrella, a veteran-owned social enterprise, is committed to making a positive impact on military families.

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