Putting them together, she developed a way to fund a charity called Sow and Grow, which she and others had helped establish last year.
Most of the people involved in the charity used to be in the military.
"I had no experience in charity work," Granite said. "So I reached out to people I knew to help build an organization. These were mostly military people."
The toy, which is a ring with an iPod insertion, has received a lot of attention from marketing professionals, promising to generate the kind of money that might fund the charity.
One aspect of the charity will help groups that serve the disabled and disadvantaged to raise money - although Granite has proposed a number of other initiatives, including the development of something called the "diaper program" in Hudson County.
Because the cost of diapers is so overwhelming for many disadvantaged parents, and the lack of clean diapers could lead to infections and other health issues, Granite is seeking to partner with companies that manufacture diapers and body sanitizers to help offset the high costs through a coupon program.
Another aspect of the charity is to give people who need work - like a single parent - computer training and skills for fundraising.
Until her new toy came into the picture, Granite sought support from the Faith Based Initiative program which has been touted by President George W. Bush and the Center for Non Profits. She even wrote to Nancy Reagan, Buckingham Palace, and Bill Gates, all of which have foundations. She has considered working with canisters. But the most likely funding mechanism will be the royalties she expects to get from the invention of a toy ring that is currently being readied for market, which will involve an iPod, a small device that plays downloaded music.
She said that with the proceeds, she would like to buy the building in which she currently lives in an effort to provide a place where kids could hang out, a hub where there are computers and an atmosphere where kids could learn.
Far reaching
Although she is from Bayonne, members of the charity come from Colorado, California, Georgia and other places. Sow and Grow received its 501c3 not-for-profit status in Jan. 2004.
The concept for the charity that helps charities was originated by the Sow and Grow's fundraising Director Gary Miksza, someone Granite had known since she was a small girl.
In reaching out to people to get involved in the program, the group sought friends throughout the country - most of whom were stationed in various parts of the country.
As someone who considers herself a Christian, Victoria Granite said she believed that it is her job to help other people. But in searching for a mission, she wanted to find the truly vulnerable people in society.
"I didn't want to work for people with self-inflicted problems," she said. "This is why we decided to help children."
In something like five years, she said the group would like to set up a center where they could provide service on several levels, teaching people such as unwed mothers to use computers for a grant-writing operation that might both teach needed skills to someone and offer a valuable resource to local charity groups.
"We could also help seek funds for people who are faced with unexpected disasters," she said. "We wouldn't be giving anybody money. We would provide a service to help these people get loans or grants. This is thinking outside the box because we would not be raising money for ourselves, but for the groups that are doing the work."
She is hoping her toy idea will generate the necessary funds to kick the project off for the group. While she will keep a small percentage, she plans to use most of the proceeds she receives to fund the effort.
Born and raised in Bayonne, Granite attended local schools through high school and then went on to St. Peter's College, after which she worked as a marketing person in New York for a number of years.
Contact Al Sullivan at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com
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