Jamie Pope said the community supports her business, and when she can return the favor, she is more than willing to do so.

As owner and founder of Liz James Designs, Pope creates intricate, handmade jewelry from her studio and store in the Westlake area.

“It’s such a gift to do what I love every day so that it doesn’t seem like work,” she said. “I don’t have a lot of money to give, but I can give jewelry. "

Although trained as a dental hygienist, Pope found her passion in jewelry design.[/caption]

Multiple groups benefit from Pope's donations.

“I try to support local organizations because we’re local, so this gives back to our community," she said.

Although Liz James Designs has helped many groups through silent auctions and donations, one organization that is significant to Pope is The Refuge, which will offer a local safe place for teenage victims of sex trafficking to receive long-term, holistic care when it opens at the end of the year.

Pope said she designed a necklace to thank The Refuge’s top supporters.

After attending a ground breaking at The Refuge in October, Pope said she wanted to do more to help the nonprofit facility. So she donated a portion of a daily earning from the store to the organization.

Pope also designed a necklace sold in her store to support the Beyond Batten Foundation, which raises funds to combat the fatal neurodegenerative disorder that affects children.

Liz James Designs features unique, handmade jewelry.[/caption]

“After I read about [the disease], I kept thinking, ‘What can I do?’” she said. “That night I woke up and [heard]: ‘Go from dark to light.’”

Pope created The Christiane necklace, named for a child who, despite her diagnosis and gradual loss of vision, has continued to live her life. The gold necklace features a string of stones going from dark gray to white, and the Liz James Designs website includes information on the jewelry’s namesake and its foundation. Pope donates $40 from the sale of each Christiane necklace to the Beyond Batten Foundation.

“That was one of my favorite things to get to do,” she said. “I thought about one night, and the next day it was in production. 'Every little bit helps' is our belief.”