Jewelers Raise Funds to Fight Food Insecurity

By Karen Dybis | November 06, 2025

Jewelers in several states are helping people in their communities who are experiencing reduced SNAP benefits due to the federal government shutdown.

As the shutdown enters its sixth week, families on SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) may receive only half–or less–of their normal allotment, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said this week. The federal government funds SNAP, while states distribute it.

Here are five jewelry retailers and designers who have created fundraisers and other ways for their customers to support food banks and other organizations that assist those facing food insecurity.

Greenwich St. Jewelers
The New York City store has partnered with influencer and designer JewelBoxing to host a raffle benefiting City Harvest, a local organization that does food rescue and distribution.

Raffle tickets can be purchased until 10 a.m. Eastern time on Nov. 11, for a chance to win the Creamsicle necklace from Greenwich St.’s recent collaboration with JewelBoxing. The necklace (pictured at top), valued at $3,500, features a honey-colored citrine set in 14k gold on an 18-inch chain.

“Citrine is the golden birthstone of November and is said to promote positivity, abundance, and joy—qualities we all need more of right now,” Greenwich St. Jewelers said in its Instagram post about the raffle.

“I’m so gratified at how many people are already participating in the raffle. The piece itself is gorgeous and perfect for this time of year, but more importantly New Yorkers shouldn’t be going hungry,” says JewelBoxing’s Xarissa B. “I love seeing our little gem-obsessed community come together to lift others up.”

“There is so much need, and it’s easy to feel powerless but we’re not. Doing jewelry raffles during times of crisis helps people to take a small action with the possibility of a big reward,” Greenwich St. co-owner Jennifer Gandia tells JCK.

“This is also an opportunity to act in community—a small donation is multiplied when we do it together,” she says. “As a brand that believes we are responsible for each other, supporting City Harvest, an organization with a long-standing commitment to fighting food insecurity, is a direct response to the increased need our neighbors are experiencing right now.”

Ariana Boussard-Reifel
The designer behind her eponymous brand, as well as owner of vintage and indigenous jewelry seller Marteau, held a two-day flash sale and donated 20% of the proceeds to food organizations in Montana (where she lives), Los Angeles, and New York City (where her business is based). Boussard-Reifel estimates she raised enough for almost 4,000 meals for families.

“While I normally approach politics with an even keel, I felt genuinely enraged by the conflation of Trump’s golden ballroom paired with the Dickensian pulling of SNAP funding. I knew I wanted to make an impact beyond my personal donations,” Boussard-Reifel tells JCK.

“One of the beautiful things about being a small business owner is that we can do what we want with our money, and I believe, in a society dominated by capitalism, the way we spend our dollars is the most impactful way to make change,” she adds.

Jean Jean Vintage
Emily Duffelmeyer, owner of the Lansing, Mich., store (which sells both new and pre-owned jewelry), says nearly 15% of families in the county where she works live with food insecurity, so she’s organized a monthlong fund drive for her local food bank.

“The retraction of funding for food assistance in the past several weeks has only added to the urgency and need of my neighbors. Additionally, many small businesses in my community are struggling to stay afloat,” says Duffelmeyer.

“I am matching community donations through Jean Jean and also giving away gift cards to local businesses to those who donate,” Duffelmeyer says. “It is a win all around: supporting the food bank during a particularly difficult time and boosting my fellow small businesses ahead of the holidays. A kind of double investment in my local economy.”

Jane Taylor
A raffle by the Amherst, Mass.–based jewelry brand is raising funds for nonprofit Feeding America. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased through Nov. 6.

The raffle prize is a pair of Jane Taylor’s small-size slim pavé huggies with rainbow gemstones (retail value $1,255). The winner will be notified Nov. 7.

“Thank you for helping us use the power of art to do good in the world!” Jane Taylor said on its website.

Kikay
The L.A.-based brand is donating 25% of profits from all its food-themed earrings sold through the end of the year to local food aid programs. Kikay cofounder Quinn Jones says in an email interview that the combination of SNAP interruptions and the holiday season spurred her company to do something about food insecurity.

“Everyone deserves to eat good and nutritious food, no matter their life circumstances,” Jones says. “We will be doing monetary donations to the food banks, as they can purchase wholesale and stretch the dollar further, and we will be bringing physical donations to local pantries to fill them up.”

(Photo courtesy of Greenwich St. Jewelers)