I love giving Christmas gifts and I love it even more when my gift-giving not only provides a gift to the recipient but helps to provide jobs, supports a worthy cause, or gives small business owners a means of providing support for their families. This can be accomplished by shopping from locally-owned businesses and directly from small vendors at craft sales and through venues such as ETSY. It can also be accomplished by purchasing from businesses that are selling items from Fair Trade vendors or are donating the proceeds from the sale of certain products to charity.
To help get you in the gift-giving mode, I have identified some sites where your shopping will ‘give back’ to small vendors and those in need. Merry Christmas and Happy Shopping.
1) A World of Good–Crate and Barrel http://www.crateandbarrel.com//photo-gallery-fair-trade-ornaments Crate and Barrel is featuring Christmas ornaments created by women-owned microbusinesses in Kenya, Peru, and India. Sales of these ornaments will provide support to families in Kenya and Peru and will help to build a hospital in the Kashmir region of India.
2) Gift of Hope–American Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.org/donate/promotions-that-give-back/gift-of-hope.html The American Diabetes Association has a catalog full of wonderful Christmas gifts. The sale of Christmas ornaments, jewelry, candles, kitchen gadgets, and many other products will support diabetes research and bring hope to adults and children who suffer with this disease.
3) Kohl’s Cares http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/kohlscares/kidscausemerchandise.jsp?icid=hpme|mes1 Kohl’s features books, stuffed animals, and cookbooks throughout the year as part of their Kohl’s Cares program. 100% of proceeds are donated to Kid’s Causes such as healthcare and education or to Women’s Causes such as breast cancer research.
4) St. Judes Candles–Pottery Barn–http://www.potterybarn.com/pages/stjude.html Pottery Barn features the St. Jude Candle collection. 50% of the sales goes to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to support research and treatment for children with catastrophic illness, including childhood cancers.
5) Heart of Haiti and Rwanda Path to Peace– Macy’s–http://www1.macys.com/shop/for-the-home/a-committed-partnership?id=61874&edge=hybrid Macy’s has partnered with artisans in Haiti and Rwanda to sell their handmade products, included woven baskets and pottery items. The revenue earned from these sales reduces poverty, reduces cases of malaria by providing netting, and allows families to purchase water purification tablets to provide clean drinking water.
6) Sweet Home Gifts–Dancing Deer Baking Company–http://www.dancingdeer.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=order&product_group_id=-45&product_id=0 35% of the retail sales price of Sweet Home cake and cookies gifts are donated to a scholarship program through One Family Inc. These scholarships help homeless at and risk mothers further their education.
7) Global Girlfriends tps://www.globalgirlfriend.com/store/ggf/site Global Girlfriends seeks to eradicate poverty by selling items handmade by women worldwide. Proceeds provide micro-grants to women in Africa to start their own small businesses.
8) Camelback Groove Bottle–water.org–https://www.globalgirlfriend.com/store/ggf/site $10 of every purchase goes to Water.org to provide safe water and sanitation to countries across Africa, South Asia, and Central America.
9) National Zoo Store–Smithsonian National Zoological Park–http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Shop/ Every purchase supports the conservation, education, and research efforts of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
10) Thanks for Sharing–Macy’s–http://www1.macys.com/m/campaign/give-back/index Macy’s credit card holders can designate a portion of their purchases made from September through December each year to go to one of several charities. Charities include American Heart Association, Make A Wish, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Susan's Reflections 