Business off to a strong start, mittens to be donated to Transitional Living Center in Burlington
By Kellen Olshefski
Editor
In the spirit of the holidays, Mittengram is off to a strong start, warming the hearts, and hands, of those not only around the area, but around the country.
The small business started in Williams Bay by Founder and CEO Cody Faust, a Burlington native, gives those looking to spread a little cheer an alternative to the traditional greeting card. For $20, Mittengram not only sends a pair of mittens with a customized tag to the recipient, but also prepares a pair for a local charity to help those in need.
To date, Faust said the company, which launched earlier in December, has sent out about 200 Mittengrams to customers across the county. While orders have been coming in largely from Wisconsin, Faust said they’ve been getting orders from Illinois, California, Colorado, North Carolina and even Texas.
“Texas, who would’ve thought,” he said. “I’m still waiting for the order from Alaska though. I don’t know why, I just want someone to send a Mittengram to Anchorage or something.
“For some reason, knowing a pair of our mittens will be worn in Alaska is cool to me.”
So far, Faust said the small business has caught on even better than he had originally hoped, with people responding positively to not only the mittens, but the mission behind them as well.
“People have emailed us some great stories about how excited the person receiving the Mittengram has been,” he said. “I think there was even one story where a woman was so touched, she just started sobbing.
“That is the kind of reaction we love.”
Faust said the response from the community has been both overwhelming and humbling, the Burlington area especially. He said from comments on the company’s Facebook posts to referrals from friends, everyone seems to enjoy the idea and are supportive of the small business start up.
“Like I’ve said before, Mittengram and the mittens themselves were created, in a large part, in the image of the people of Wisconsin,” he said. “Warm, supportive and enduring.”
Faust said he’s been asked if Mittengram is just for the holidays, and while he said it’s perfect for the holidays, it’s not just for the holidays.
“People can send a Mittengram for so many other reasons than saying Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays,” he said. “Literally, anything you want to say to someone, even if it is just Thank You. I guarantee the person receiving it will love it so much more than a card.
“Mittengram will be spreading the warmth for the entire winter season and even if people want to order Mittengrams in the summer, we’re all about it.”
Helping out others
For every pair of mittens purchased through Mittengram, a pair will be matched by the company and donated to a local charity. At this time, Mittengram is partnering with Transitional Living Center in Burlington, which Faust said is a perfect fit for Mittengram.
“The people there and the organization itself really embodies what Mittengram is all about, and I’m pretty confident in saying I think the feeling there is mutual,” he said.
Faust said, however, Transitional Living Center is not their only focus, as they’re looking to connect with a few other local organizations and are always looking for new partners and organizations that share their mission.
