Dec 18, 2023

Gift for Life board member nominated for ARTS Award

Gift for Life unveiled a special fundraising campaign celebrating Gift for Life board member Russ Jones for his 2024 ARTS Award nomination in the Sales Representative East/Atlantic category. Donations benefit Gift for Life beneficiary World Central Kitchen (WCK).

ARTS Award winners will be announced at a gala event on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, during the Dallas Total Home & Gift Market.

“This nomination is a testament to Russ’ ingenuity and passion for the industry he serves,” said Ari Lowenstein, chair of Gift for Life. “We are so fortunate that he is a part of the GFL board and uses his many talents to benefit World Central Kitchen’s crisis-related hunger relief efforts and to raise funds for GMHC as a member of our Gift for Life AIDS Walk team. We wish him the best of luck in January!”

Russ joined Gift for Life in 2017 and in 2022 spearheaded the launch of Home vs Hunger, the first independently organized partnership between Gift for Life and leading members of the home industry. Since that time, this new home industry charitable initiative has raised nearly $40,000 for World Central Kitchen through events at High Point Market and ad hoc online fundraising.

“Being nominated for the 2024 ARTS Award is a profound honor. This nomination fuels my passion to continue making a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need. I am truly touched by the recognition and excited for what the future holds,” Russ said. “Serving on the Gift For Life board has been immensely fulfilling, especially in championing the Home vs Hunger initiative, which strives to combat crisis-related hunger through our collective efforts. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to World Central Kitchen’s vital mission and to support GMHC through Gift for Life’s AIDS Walk team.”

For the past 18 years, Russ has worked with Ivystone as a luxe home and hospitality sales representative, working with key accounts and retail stores along with hundreds of New York City design and architectural firms. Prior to Ivystone, Russ had a successful career in showbiz as a singer/dancer on Broadway and ran a gift store called Flights of Fancy for 10 years on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

The ARTS Awards is a peer-nominated program developed by the non-profit ART (Accessories Resource Team) and produced by Dallas Market Center. Submissions are independently reviewed and scored based on criteria established by the ARTS Awards committee, and hundreds of nominations are evaluated to determine the list of finalists.