Each week on “Jacksonville Buzz,” our hosts sit down with some of the brightest and most entertaining guests you can find on the First Coast to discuss what’s buzzing in the Bold City. Today, Adrienne talks with Sandy and Steve Jacoby from Sheep Dreamzzz Baby Blankets.
Sheep Dreamzzz is part of a 501(c) (3) charity called Sheep Not Goats. Steve and Sandy trained unemployed women in Nicaragua to knit blankets. All profit from the sold blankets goes back to the women.
To book a room, visit https://sheepdreamzzz.org.
Short Company Description: Sheep Dreamzzz is part of a 501(c) (3) charity called Sheep Not Goats. In 2012, I and my husband Steve moved to Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America, to see how we could help the people there, mainly through employment. One of our initiatives, and the one into which we pour most of our time, is Sheep Dreamzzz. I trained women in our small town of Malpaisillo to knit beautiful baby blankets so they have income to feed their families. All of the profit goes to them and to keeping Sheep Dreamzzz going. They have become excellent knitters. We sell our blankets and loveys online and have many repeat customers.
Give a brief description on what you would like to discuss on the show.: I would like to share about our non-profit work, show a couple of the blankets, and talk about the women who make them.
What makes your company unique?: We are not-for-profit and 100% dedicated to supporting the women in Nicaragua. Almost all baby products are made on machines in China. Our blankets are handmade; each one is carefully knit over the course of a week or more. Giving a Sheep Dreamzzz blanket makes a difference for a poor family in a country that is very unstable, both economically and politically.
How do you define success?: Helping others in ways that truly change their lives and not just for show. It’s not easy to do this in Nicaragua, especially during COVID, but we push through because families depend on us.
What’s your favorite way to get involved in the community?: We enjoy meeting and extending the hand of fellowship to those who are less fortunate than us. We both speak Spanish and are very comfortable in whatever cultural setting presents a need.
What is your biggest marketing challenge in your business: Number one is awareness. We can’t afford to pay our knitters a reasonable wage and also pay for advertising and promotions. So we do the best we can. Once people buy, many of them become repeat customers. We just need to get the word out and rise above all the baby gear noise that’s out there.
