Tis the Season to buy gifts that give back!!!

Tyler and I don't do missions all the time. As avid shoppers, we've always been about getting the best deal on the best product as are most people these days.

Well, this year we threw that out the window, and swiped our cards left and right regardless of cost. Why, would we do that!??! Had we lost our minds? Did we win the lottery? No, we did it because it was the right thing to do.

So let's back track real quick, when buying items that give back be sure to check your sources. I initially pondered buying from TOMS. I'll site the following link: http://www.whydev.org/some-bad-news-about-toms-shoes/

Read it if you wish as to why I avoided them.We considered Patagonia as well. Nothing wrong with them, just wasn't up our alley or interests. We were looking for something different, more family or individually owned, no big name or big reputation that a company of massive size had to live up to for the sole purpose of making sure their warehouses stayed stocked to fulfill every order.

So we did our research and found the following businesses that strictly opened their doors to providing for those in need. Those businesses that had their own mission that wasn't about making money or living a more expensive life.

Don't get me wrong, buying toys for your kids, or finally getting that TV you really wanted isn't a bad thing at all. I encourage you all to buy to meet your needs, but if you have an opportunity to give back to people outside of your moral circle, then do something similar to what we did. Trust me, you can find something for someone from any one of the organizations.

Mari's Pick

Sudara: https://www.sudara.org/pages/about
Giving a woman the opportunity to gain job skills and a long-term career with an upstanding employer in a supply chain of like-minded companies is vital, but it’s not enough to end sexual slavery once and for all. To do that, it’s essential that we break the cycle for generations to come. That’s why, in addition to our Sudara products which provide training and jobs for the women who make them, we also have a non-profit arm that allows us to provide for those same women across their entire ecosystem. The contributions that come from our supporters, fans and advocates allow us to provide housing and education for both the women and their children. These two sides of our business work hand in hand, and both are essential to creating a pathway for women to escape from sexual slavery and live in freedom.

Tyler's Pick

Combat Flip Flops: https://www.combatflipflops.com/
As Army Rangers with several Afghanistan tours behind them, Griff and Lee saw a country filled with hard-working, creative people who wanted jobs, not handouts. Flip flops were just the start. We've taken a product that people in nearly every country on the planet wear, and made it a weapon for change. Right now, all our flip flops are made in Bogota, Colombia, providing jobs and investing in people who desperately need it. We've done that with all the products we sell. Our USA made Claymore Bag's flip the script, on traditional weapons of war. Instead of carrying bombs, these bags act as a carry-all for business tools like iPad's, laptops and more. Our Cover and Concealment sarongs are handmade in Afghanistan by local women. Each one takes three days to make. The Peacemaker Bangle and Coinwrap are sent to us straight from artisans in Laos - and they're made from landmines dropped during the Vietnam war.

The Double Bottom Line:

• Every product Combat Flip Flops sells puts an Afghan girl into secondary school for a day.
• Each Peacemaker Bangle or coinwrap sold clears 3 square meters of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) from a region rocked by long-term war - saving lives and providing economic opportunity.

Here's the link to hear from the founder: https://youtu.be/JlP8Zig_ksM

Mari's Pick

Hand in Hand Soap: http://www.handinhandsoap.com/

In 2011, we stumbled upon an article stating 5 million children die each year from water related illnesses. After some research, we learned that 45% of these deaths could be prevented with simple hand washing alone. We decided to create a household product that could also save lives and Hand in Hand Soap was born! For every bar of soap or product bought, a bar of soap and 1 full month of clean water is donated to a child in Haiti through My Neighbor's Children. 

To us, finding the right non-profit to partner was about working with an established organization,  with people we liked and trusted. We found the perfect match with world-wide child advocacy group, My Neighbor's Children. Through them we focus our donations in Haiti because they have been working there for the past 25 years & understand where the need is greatest. To this day, 100% of our donations go to the children of Haiti.

Here's the link from opening their first well: https://youtu.be/pxHUHW4YLCo

Our Pick

Bombas: https://bombas.com/

Before launching Bombas, we learned that socks were the number one most requested clothing item at homeless shelters.

So we started a company with the goal of solving that problem. For every pair of socks we sell, we donate a pair to someone in need. The more socks we sell, the more we can donate.

And to sell a lot of socks, we knew we had to design the best sock on the market.

Our Pick

Out of Print: https://www.outofprintclothing.com/ 

Books, worn well. As the landscape of how we read and experience literature continues to change, Out of Print is dedicated to celebrating our favorite stories while promoting literacy in under served communities. Each purchase helps to fund literacy programs and book donations to communities in need in Africa. It also supports the authors, publishers and artists who made these iconic works an integral part of our lives.

XOXO

T & M