What is a Giving Key? What's so special about a reclaimed key engraved with a simple word?
A lot, actually.
It's not just a trend for celebrities to wear vintage jewelry or a hipster fad. It's so much more than that. From simple origins to a coincidental meeting, the Giving Key took on a life of its own, even after its time had supposedly passed.
"This story begins with a New York hotel room key. Actress and singer/songwriter, Caitlin Crosby, started wearing the hotel key as a necklace while on tour and had the idea to start engraving old, used keys with inspirational words. Realizing that, in a way, we are all like these keys – unique, flawed, scarred, and sometimes discarded by others – she wanted these keys to have their purpose renewed over and over again."
By some stroke of luck, Caitlyn met an industrious couple, named Rob and Cera, on the street. The three of them were able to craft the first Giving Key the very next day.
Every key is engraved by a team of wonderful individuals who are trying to make a new life for themselves. These guys are people transitioning out of homelessness, hoping to make a new start by spreading positive messages through partnerships with Chrysalis, LIFT, and Downtown Women’s Center. Just like the keys, these artisans are working on their second chance.
The message engraved on these keys represent the ideology of the wearer. When the wearer meets someone in need of their message, the wearer is expected to pass on the key. This way, the new owner will be able to pass on this message to another and so on.
Purchasing a key affords someone the opportunity to start anew. Your ideals will be mirrored in your key. Sharing your key with someone else brings the entire experience full circle. The Giving Key company provides a unique product that benefits all who come in contact with it. Like every person, every key has a past, but its future is in your hands. Many take great care in picking a message. Somehow, picking the one word that exemplified me caused me to take an objective look at my life. What did I stand for? Who was I really? It's funny how something so small could peak that sort of questioning. My message came to me in a less theatrical way, but it's mine all the same.
For my key, I chose the word "Steadfast".
I was perusing Pinterest, looking at tattoos, when I found one with the outline of a grizzly bear over the word steadfast. I had seen the word before, but I had never really used it. So, I looked it up, of course. It was defined as very devoted or loyal to a person, belief, or cause : not changing. For me, it meant I would hold on to my ideals and who I was in the face of anything. I would be fearless and stand resolute when I stood for what I believed, especially if I had ever stopped believing in me.
I haven't met its new owner yet, but I have a feeling my key's story isn't over yet. It's only the beginning.
