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>>> WELCOME BACK TO "GREAT DAY WASHINGTON."
WASHINGTON." IN HONOR OF THEIR 90th
ANNIVERSARY, THE FAMILY-OWNED
TINY JEWELBOX IS HONORING NINE
HEROES.
HEROES.
HEROES. ELLEN GOT A CHANCE TO TALK WITH
THE TINY JEWELBOX PRESIDENT AND
ONE OF THE RECIPIENTS.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> MATTHEW, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE
CELEBRATING A BIG LANDMARK
ANNIVERSARY.
ANNIVERSARY. ARE YOU DOING THIS AT THE STORE?
>> PLEASE THANK YOU FOR JOINING
ME.
ME.
ME. I'M
ME. I'M A
ME. I'M A THIRD-GENERATION
WASHINGTONIAN.
WASHINGTONIAN. AND, TINY JEWELBOX WAS FOUNDED
BY MY GRANDMOTHER AND
GRANDFATHER.
GRANDFATHER. AND AS WE WERE THINKING ABOUT
HOW TO COMMEMORATE OUR
ANNIVERSARY, WE WANTED TO DO
SOMETHING THAT WAS COMMUNITY-
BASED, AND WE HAD THE THOUGHT
TO HONOR SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO
WERE ON THE FRONT LINES,
ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR, SERVING
OUR COMMUNITY IN A TIRELESS WAY,
AND HOPING TO BRING VISIBILITY
TO THEIR EFFORTS AND BRING A
LITTLE BIT OF SPARKLE AND SHINE
TO THEM PERSONALLY.
>> I THINK IT IS SO SWEET WHAT
YOU'RE DOING.
YOU'RE DOING. I KNOW YOU HAVE NINE HONOREES.
WE ARE JOINED BY ONE.
RYAN, WE'LL IT TO YOU IN A
SECOND.
SECOND.
SECOND. HOW DID YOU PICK THE OTHER
EIGHT PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE
RECEIVING THE GREAT GIFTS?
>> WE CREATED A COMMITTEE AT
THE STORE, AND A NOMINATING
PROCESS.
PROCESS.
PROCESS. AND WE GOT LOTS OF DIFFERENT
NOMINATIONS.
NOMINATIONS. THE TRUTH IS, IT WAS SO
DIFFICULT JUST TO CHOOSE NINE.
IT WAS REALLY AN ARRAY OF
PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT
WERE NOMINATED WE HAD A WOMAN
THAT WAS A COVID NURSE AT SHADY
GROVE HOSPITAL.
GROVE HOSPITAL. WE HAD VOLUNTEER ORGANIZERS
FROM MARK THE'S TABLE, AND IT
WAS REALLY AN AMAZING ARRAY.
PICKING WAS REALLY DIFFICULT,
BUT RYAN'S STORY WAS -- STOOD
OUT TO US.
WHILE THERE WERE GREAT
SUBMISSIONS, IT WAS EASY TO
PICK RYAN FOR THE TIRELESS WORK
THAT SHE WAS DOING.
>> RYAN, FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T
KNOW YOUR STORY, TELL US A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR
BACKGROUND AND WHAT IT IS THAT
YOU HAVE BEEN DOING.
>> SO, I'M LIKE MATTHEW, A
THIRD-GENERATION WASHINGTONIAN
THIRD-GENERATION WASHINGTONIAN WHO GREW UP IN SOUTHEAST D.C.
AND IS WHERE SOME OF THE
GREATEST PAIN AND SOME OF THE
GREATEST JOYS HAVE MATURED ME.
AND SO, I LOST MY SISTER 27
YEARS AGO LAST WEEK.
AND SO WHEN I GOT THE EMAIL
SAYING THAT I HAD BEEN NOMINATED
AND WON, IT WAS ON THE EVE OF
MY SISTER'S DEATH ANNIVERSARY.
MY SISTER WAS KILLED IN 1993.
ON THAT NIGHT ALSO, MY MOTHER,
BROTHER, AND ANOTHER SISTER
WERE ALSO SHOT.
AND I'VE LOST TWO OTHER FAMILY
MEMBERS, AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN
SHOT.
SHOT.
SHOT. THE
SHOT. THE FRIENDS, THE NEIGHBORS.
AND SO, I CREATED THIS CENTER
AS A SPACE TO HEAL, ESPECIALLY
ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL
KIDS WHO SOMETIMES DON'T HAVE
THAT SPACE TO SAY I'M HURTING.
AND TO BE HEARD.
AND SO, WE PROVIDE ART THERAPY
THROUGH AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER
PROGRAMS FOR KIDS, WHO LIVE IN
COMMUNITIES. WE KNOW THAT JUST
THIS YEAR, WE ARE CLOSE TO
REACHING 200 IN OUR CITY FOR
THE FIRST TIME, AND IN PROBABLY
A DECADE OR TWO.
WE TAKE THE JOURNEY OF HEALING
WITH THESE FAMILIES AND WITH
THESE KIDS.
THESE KIDS. >> IS THERE A WAY THAT PEOPLE
CAN HELP OUT IN SOME WAY?
HOW DO WE DO THAT?
>> SO, YOU CAN GO TO THE
TRARONCENTER.ORG, AND THIS YEAR
BECAUSE OF COVID, WE CREATED A
LEARNING POD FOR OUR KIDS, SO
THAT THEY DID NOT FALL BEHIND.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF OUR
FAMILIES, THEY WERE ESSENTIAL
WORKERS ON THE FRONT LINES, AND
WE DID NOT WANT THEM TO HAVE TO
MAKE THE CHOICE BETWEEN A
KIDS' EDUCATION AND PROVIDING
FOR THEIR KIDS.
AND SO, WE CREATED A LEARNING
POD THAT FOLLOWED ALL CDC
REGULATIONS, AND ALL D.C.
REGULATIONS, AND WE HAVE NOT
HAD ONE COVID POSITIVE TEST IN
THE SEVEN MONTHS THAT WE'VE
BEEN DOING OUR SUMMER PROGRAM
AND OUR LEARNING POD AND
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, SO THAT
OUR KIDS HAVE THAT SPACE.
>> MATTHEW, I CAN SEE WHY YOU
PICKED RYAN.
PICKED RYAN. I CAN SEE WHY YOU WANTED HER TO
BE A RECIPIENT.
AND REMIND US, YOU ARE GOING TO
HAVE HER IN TO PICK OUT
SOMETHING SPECIAL.
SOMETHING SPECIAL. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. SO, RYAN IS GOING TO GO ON A
$1000 SHOPPING SPREE HERE AT
TINY JEWELBOX.
TINY JEWELBOX. SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE
WATCHES, CONSIGNMENT JEWELRY,
VINTAGE, STONES, AND WE JUST
WANT TO MAKE HER HOLIDAY SHINE
AND SPARKLE JUST A LITTLE BIT
MORE THAN IT MIGHT NORMALLY.
SO WHENEVER SHE'S READY, I LOOK
FORWARD TO SOME FUN SHOPPING
WITH RYAN, AND IT IS THE
ABSOLUTE LEAST THAT WE CAN DO
TO JUST HONOR HER AMAZING,
TIRELESS EFFORTS.
TIRELESS EFFORTS. IT WILL BE MY PLEASURE AND JOY
TO GO ON A LITTLE SHOPPING TRIP
WITH RYAN.
WITH RYAN. ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. >> I'M SO EXCITED FOR YOU,
RYAN.
RYAN.
RYAN. YOU
RYAN. YOU GOT TO TELL US WHAT YOU GET
AFTER.
AFTER.
AFTER. >>