builtonrespect

Built on Respect has been a mantra for alt-culture personality heidiminx for years. It graced the hang tags of her fashion line, Franky & Minx, and continues to be her driving mission, "Treating people with respect, and sewing the seeds of fairness creates solidarity"

It was with this attitude that Minx did volunteer work in Haiti, and more recently, twice this past year in Dharamsala, India.

On her first visit, Minx volunteered in two communities; she helped oversee the development of an online store that taught computer and English skills to her rural students, which ultimately saved the school from closing. In addition, she worked in the Tibetan community, teaching English to refugees at the Hope Center, a fledgling community organization.

Upon her return to the US, Minx began to explore charitable initiatives. The human rights violations she heard from her students spurned a desire to return, and to leverage and share her business contacts, her award-winning marketing skills, her DIY approach, and the support of her influential musician friends to gain awareness. Built on Respect has a fiscal sponsor for its 501 (c3) status.

On her second trip, Minx worked solely within the Tibetan community for three months. She continued to support the Hope Center, working with board members on marketing and sustainability. She also worked with Jamtse in Action, a fledgling group that supports the elders at the Jampaling elders home and The Institute for Tibetan Thangka Art; a free school that keeps traditional Tibetan art alive. In addition, she worked with two local artists to help develop their non-profits, met frequently with NGOs to discuss marketing and development, and also sponsored English classes for the monks of Ganden Monastery, all while teaching English and participating in conversation classes.

In addition, Minx worked to educate youth worldwide. She secured interviews with HH the 17th Karmapa, the head of Students for A Free Tibet, the director of the Federation for a Democratic China, the president of the Tibetan National Women’s Association, , and also took footage of the political and social events occurring in the village at that time. Her continuing theme in these interviews was youth in action.

It is Minx's goal to embrace the DIY mentality, and to personally work to raise funds, and also to directly oversee their disbursement while documenting it, working side by side with different community organizations.