Meet Kristen Carico | Nonprofit Founder + Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristen Carico and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen, what principle do you value most?
I feel to compelled to share a bit of my personal story in connection to this question because honestly there was a time I could not provide an answer. In recent years I came to a space in my life that I realized my soul needed some attention. This revelation led to seek counseling, to pause, be intentional, and discover what my soul was craving. It would seem that my soul needed some definition, a bit of shoring-up…and in some ways I needed to pause long enough to identify its core. It took a dose of dedication, intentionality, commitment, and the journey was equally challenging and beautiful.

I share all this in connection with the posed questions because before this incredible and somewhat uncomfortable experience I could not list or define my values. I had no idea what was propelling or compelling me day-to-day or season-by-season. Defining and identifying my values was a portion of my journey and essential for my weary soul because I have come to discover that my values are my compass in this journey called life.

Now to properly answer the question, one high value of mine is justice. Before recognizing this value, I more commonly reserved justice for the courtroom and the responsibility of lawyers, judges, magistrates, and civic leaders – those way more qualified than me.

However, in this mentioned pause I realized that justice had been a common thread in my life when reaching out to the lonely in middle school, shedding tears for those who felt unseen as a young adult, engaging my family uniquely and individually as a wife and mother, and identifying the unmet basic needs of others in my community as the Founder and Director of a nonprofit. Justice matters to me because one seemingly small just act can make a positive difference in the lives of others, and over time, just action repeated can make a difference in our communities and the world.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Power to Act seeks to offer justice, deliver practical kindness, and restore dignity by meeting the basic physical needs of women facing adversity in our local and global community. We consider it unjust that women in our local community do not possess basic items such as daily hygiene products, suitable clothing, or household necessities. Women in our global community face unjustifiable circumstances due to lack of resources.
We identify the unmet basic needs of local women experiencing homelessness or survivors of domestic violence and create Needs-Based Programs that demonstrate kindness. These Programs provide ongoing dignified vocation through our global partners that aid women rising from poverty or rescued from trafficking.

Our longstanding Programs are tailored to serve our local and global partners. We are best known for our Purse with Purpose, a handcrafted handbag generously filled with basic everyday products that care for the well-being women locally. Each handbag is crafted by women artisans in Haiti raising from poverty or rescued from trafficking who desire to gain practical life-skills and obtain dignified vocation.

Power to Act started as a local cause in August 2010, turned nonprofit in 2016. Originally named Heavenly Handbags I desired to find a way to use my favorite accessory for good. It started with sending emails to my personal community extending an invitation to donate a list of 16 daily hygiene products. The handbags were made from upholstery remnants and stitched by talented seamstresses in the area. Our first batch of 10 Heavenly Handbags were donated to the local homeless shelter and domestic violence safehouse, and after that we set-up a bi-monthly donation schedule. This was our initial giving-rhythm – sustainable, doable, committed to the cause.

As years went by, we started reaching out and building partnerships with other local nonprofits that serve vulnerable women in our community. With commitment to our mission, we started to expand our Purse with Purpose Program, donating handbags monthly, and develop new Programs. In recent years, we have established partnerships with global organizations who now stitch the handbags we donate, providing ongoing dignified vocation for artisans.

With the support of many, we have successfully donated 946 Purse with Purpose, filled with over 13,244 practical + everyday products, and within our other Program we have provided 1,239 meals for women and children residing at the local domestic violence shelter.

I have seen this organization grow as a newlywed, working full-time or part-time, and becoming a mother. The challenge has been and remains striking balance to ensure I nurture all I hold dear in my life, including the work of Power to Act. My biggest practice in this journey is building one sustainable step after another and adhering to our mission. Not much here at Power to Act grew rapidly or was rushed. Similarly, we have considered so many good ideas, and said ‘yes’ to those in alignment with our mission and replied with a courteous ‘no’ when we knew an idea did not support our steady growth. And all that I love about Power to Act happened with many beautiful ‘togethers’ – together with our faithful volunteers, nonprofit recipients, local businesses, global partners, generous individuals, constant cheerleaders, and wise mentors, all because we are absolutely better together.

I would add one more bit of wisdom, find, do, build something that is true to the core of your soul, that aligns with the best you, and your values because when challenges arise, it seems like an opportunity to grow and learn instead of a daunting or deflating obstacle. There is so much about Power to Act that flows from my values, which makes this journey worth it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, I would welcome my friend into my home in the small community of Bayfield, CO just east of the better-known City of Durango. Although Bayfield is a gem for the families who proudly live here, so Day #1 of our visit would start with a local tour that would include some of our favorite family playgrounds and parks, because thankfully, there are many, a walk in Saul’s Creek wilderness area since the trails are plenty and the vista are lovely. Our afternoon would be spent on the shores of Vallecito Lake, and we would walk to dinner enjoying the fresh mountain air and dine on the patio at Bottom Shelf Brewery.

Bayfield might be small and discovery awaits with a day-trip to Chimney Rock located just up the road towards Pagosa Springs. Since we are so close anyway, we will continue to the Pagosa Hot Springs and enjoy a well-deserved soak for the evening.

Next on the agenda would be to discover Durango, and honestly the region because there is a treasure trove adventure in the area. Our Day #3 would start with breakfast at CJ’s Diner, and how can you enjoy a morning without coffee from Durango Joes Coffee. Coffee in hand, we would head to historic downtown and what’s not to enjoy as you stroll Main Avenue and window shop some truly fabulous boutiques including Revival Goods, Crow’s Closet, Lively (a boutique), Urban Market, There’s No Place Like Home and COUNTLESS others. We would also enjoy the Durango Arts Center taking in a theatre production, if possible, or simply view the current art exhibit. With many restaurants to enjoy I would personally select Seasons Rotisserie Grille to conclude the day.

Since we are just getting started let’s enjoy a stay-cation for the night in one of the many Bed & Breakfasts, and I certainly enjoy the elegant The Gable House. Our next day would entail the MUST-enjoy, our very own Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which I personally like to (safely) stand along the tracks and wave to the passengers, mainly tourists. Although in this case let’s get tickets for two and enjoy the incredible scenery and mining history of the San Juan Mountains and enjoy the final stop in the truly one-of-a-kind, high-mountain town of Silverton. This is an all-day affair as we take the train back to Durango.

This is exciting because it’s only Day #5 of our visit and we are heading to the mountains for a hike. Along the way we can stop at Honeyville, grab a picnic lunch at James Ranch, which we enjoy in the picnic area at Haviland Lake. We venture up to the Spud Lake Trail and take-in the beauty of the lake and surrounding mountain peaks. And we have decided that our evening needs to include a relaxing soak at Durango Hot Springs on the way back home because our day was packed.

What to do in our final days? Well today we are enjoying the magnificent Mesa Verde National Park, but not without stopping in the wonderful community of Mancos, CO – such a beautiful gateway to Mesa Verde. As we near the end of our visit we must head up to Purgatory Mountain because no matter the season there is always fun to enjoy, an alpine slide and climbing walls in the summer and epic skiing in the winter.

This is one week of adventure and we there is so much more to enjoy. We are already planning our next fun-filled visit because we didn’t go rafting down the Animas River, get ice cream from Cream Bean Berry – Artisan Ice Cream, or see some local history at the Animas Museum.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As a nonprofit Director I have to give a Shoutout to MANY. Power to Act is a staff of one, so the success of our organization, the growth of our mission, the dreams achieved I attribute to our faithful, supportive, and truly fantastic volunteers.

I acknowledge that Power to Act would not have the reach that we do without our local partners: Volunteers of America SW Colorado, Alternative Horizons, Sexual Assault Services Organization, and Housing Solutions for the Southwest. We are thankful for our global partners who beautifully contribute to our mission, Vi Bella.

I will also attribute this Shoutout to our namesake verse, which compels me to uphold our mission and continue to serve women facing adversity in our local and global community. It reads, ‘Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it’s in your Power to Act.’ -Proverbs 3:27. This verse took root in my heart years ago, and I faithfully recall and recite it in times of prosperity, times of uncertainty, and downright difficulty.

Finally, who would I be as a Founder & Director without the constant love of my family. I appreciate the ardent support of my husband, Nick, and the unconditional love my kids show me no matter if we are playing at a local park or at my office packaging handbags.

Website: https://www.powertoact.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/power.to.act

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powertoact

Image Credits
Natural Expressions Photography