The Kravitzes keeping eco-busy

Heart of the 'hood

10/21/2009 10:00 PM

FELICIA DECHTER

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Jeannette and Randy Kravitz are promoting environmental sustainability and kids’ health.
Courtesy Jeannette and Randy Kravitz

Once upon a time, River North resident Jeannette Kravitz was an international operations scout who helped open 300 photo studios in major department stores. Yet the more Kravitz traveled, the more concerned she became about how she was being treated as an American.

So Kravitz left her job, and she and her husband, Randy, decided to let young people become the spokespersons for America. In 2000, they started a nonprofit program, Peace Journey, which funds global education trips for local kids. Their first excursion was in 2003, to Tanzania, Africa, with Latin, Roberto Clemente and John F. Kennedy High School teams, and subsequent trips have included Hawaii, Mexico and Morocco.

Since then, the program has been going strong, and Kravitz even won a Telly Award for a Peace Journey documentary she produced for Black Entertainment Television. Then last year — on Sept. 21, the United Nations’ International Day of Peace — the husband and wife team opened PEACESpa, 520 W. Erie.

There they recently launched a line of botanically based, socially conscious skincare products that will support Peace Journey’s mission. The pair perfected the products — which contain chamomile, sea algae, safflower oil and more — for two years in their River North spa before launching to the wider market. The line is never tested on animals, and 10 percent of sales benefit Peace Journey.

“We created it to really support the charity,” said Kravitz. “We want to make the world a little better.”

Additionally, to celebrate Peace Journey’s 10th anniversary in 2010, the Kravitzes are focusing on kids’ health issues with EcoChallenge2020, their 10-year commitment to create sustainable practices; continue providing global trips for youth; and encourage eco-gardening in schools. The couple is striving to provide healthy options in an effort to fight obesity and diabetes in kids.

According to Kravitz, Illinois has the fourth-highest level of childhood obesity nationwide, with Chicago kids heavier than the rest of the state. Two-thirds of adults and one out of every five kids in the U.S. are obese or overweight, which can lead to depression, anxiety and asthma. Today’s youth could be the first generation to live fewer years than their parents.

That’s why the Kravitzes are seeking to raise awareness and funds with their eco-challenge, where mindfulness to food becomes an everyday priority for kids. They want to engage foodies — healthy lifestyle chefs, eco-farmers, caterers, restaurateurs, cooking schools — along with corporate partners and foundations, to participate in the challenge.

“Let’s teach kids respect and mindfulness for what they put in their bodies,” said Kravitz. “Let’s teach them how to grow vegetables, respect farming and farmers, learn about animal care, and cultivate an appreciation and better relationship with food. Then and only then can we begin to influence their circle of friends and beyond.”

THE GIRL’S GOT SOLE Hats off to Gold Coast Guest House B&B owner Sally Baker, who ran the Oct. 11 Chicago Marathon for the charity Salute, Inc., which assists new, returning veterans. Afterward, the energetic Baker was scheduled to head to the long-awaited wedding of Gold Coasters Susan Matyus and Mark Ehrlich.


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