On a weekend afternoon at a Kids Market event, sophomore Yosuke Imamura sits at a small table and sells colorful origami earrings and keychains. The proceeds go to his nonprofit, the PurrfectHome Project, which raises money for cats and dogs in need.
Imamura started the project last summer with sophomore Yubo Jin from Conestoga and Suzu Noda, a student at the Japanese Language School of Philadelphia. They sell various pieces of origami earrings, necklaces and keychains for $5 to $10 at places like the Easttown Library, Etsy and community events across the area, and donate the proceeds to the Pet Adoption and Lifecare Society and the Main Line Veterinary Hospital. So far, they have raised over $6,000.
“My grandfather had cancer for almost 10 years now. In Japan, there’s a custom where you have to make 1,000 origami paper cranes to heal somebody,” Imamura said. “We were making a bunch of cranes, but eventually we realized we could use these cranes for something other than for (my) grandfather, and we started raising money to help local cats and dogs in need.”
They first started selling at the Easttown Library, where Imamura volunteers. Since then, they have attended a Kids Market event in February, sold origami at local shops and participated in the Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Festival in March.
The group also sells origami through the Japanese Language School of Philadelphia, where Imamura and Noda run an origami club for the PurrfectHome Project. They host hands-on origami crafting events and sell origami at the school’s sponsored events.
“There were just so many people who would donate, but not even take any of the accessories,” Noda said. “They were just happy to (donate) to the cats and the dogs, and it was nice interacting with the people, regardless of whether it be at the festivals or at the events that we host, (and) making these items for their family or for whoever they’re trying to make it for.”
Imamura’s family members, Jin and Noda create the origami pieces. Imamura leads the overall project and any events, Jin helps make and sell the accessories and Noda helps with event planning and managing activities at events. They use origami paper bought from Japan and coat the origami with lacquer or nail polish to make them more durable before turning them into earrings, necklaces and keychains.
“I think (the PurrfectHome Project) is important because I feel like a lot of animals aren’t getting the life they deserve because people abandon them and then (they’re left) on the streets,” Jin said. “It’s just a huge problem. I feel like (the PurrfectHome Project) has a great impact on these animals’ lives and helps improve their lives drastically.”
In the future, Imamura plans to establish an origami club at Conestoga with Jin and plan more fundraisers. They also hope to attend bigger events where they can raise more money.
“I think I’ve seen the community in a much more positive way through the interactions that we’ve had,” Noda said. “People are very supportive, especially when it comes to helping animals. It’s great to see that they like our products, and now that I’ve done this, it’s crazy to realize how you can impact the community without putting yourself massively out there.”
Rajan Saha can be reached at [email protected].
