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Peaceful Buddha Project

 

 

 

 

Reflect on the possibility that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. If we step back, for a moment and consider the act of doing good for someone, soul warming good, then we are thinking of the possibility of enhancing that life by bringing our compassion into their world. That possibility is what brought Tracy Appleton together with Matthew Taylor Designs.


The Buddha Love Story

 

 

In 2012, Tracy Appleton Tarrant was designing the "Links of Mercy" bracelet with outstanding guidance from Meg Canfield, owner of Imogene Jewelry. Her objective was to create a beautiful bracelet from which all proceeds would benefit the scholarship fund at the Mater Christi School. Meg connected Tracy to Matthew Taylor Designs in Shelburne, Vermont to collaborate on the last design element of the bracelet.

As she watched Matthew at work, it was clear that he would be the perfect designer for another piece of jewelry, the Peaceful Buddha necklace. Tracy showed Matthew her favorite inspirational image of peaceful Jizo Bosatsu (pictured on our home page), a Buddhist monk praying, and shared how this Universal Peaceful Buddha image has brought comfort, peace, love and light to many of her friends and family that have suffered from cancer and how it helped to center their spirit during the extremely challenging time in their lives.

Tracy's ultimate plan for the Buddha pendant was to create a compassion based jewelry line, from which the initial proceeds would go to the Vermont based Cancer Patient Support Program's (CPS) Emergency Fund. This fund was established to assist patients financially impacted due to their cancer diagnosis with funds to help pay for necessities such as mortgage payments, rent, utilities, food, gas, car repairs and payments, prescriptions, etc.

Shortly after beginning on this journey, the stars aligned and a mission came into focus. First, Manon O'Connor, emeritus Board Member of CPS and Director of Development at the Vermont Cancer Center at Fletcher Allen Heath Care fully embraced Tracy's proposal and presented it to the CPS Board. Soon after, Matthew and his wife/business partner, Bri, offered to donate a portion of every necklace that was sold.

The necklaces began selling rapidly through word of mouth and a little social media and now are worn faithfully by supporters across the nation from Vermont, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Florida, Texas, California and Italy, Europe and the Far East. Their vision came to fruition within a few months!

At the time of the Buddha necklace launch, Tracy was working with families who were enduring heart wrenching pediatric medical challenges, not related to cancer. These families and several doctors shared how there were many cancer support programs but very little financial assistance available to pediatric patients outside of cancer.  "Your Buddha necklace project is truly special. Is it only for cancer patients?"  After hearing this, she knew that the mission had to expand and help as many families and individuals as possible with cancer, pediatric-related illnesses and other medical diagnoses that impact patients and families financially. 

Tracy and Manon reflected on the vast number of people who are in need of emergency financial assistance during medical treatment and Love Light Compassion Foundation (LLCF) was born of these reflections. Today, the jewlery is sold through this Foundation and proceeds go directly to the receiving charitable organizations.

The universe has embraced the LLCF mission whole heartedly and the result is our global community coming together for the soul warming good purpose of supporting our fellow neighbors during their time of enormous challenge. The LLCF team is forever grateful and deeply humbled to be a part of this passionate and loving global community.


 
 

 

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