Quite
some time ago, I was “approached” – via email – and asked to write a posting on
a company that I’d never heard of. Apparently, they got my name and contact
information from a post I had written about Women for Women International – a company I not only have heard about but
stand behind 100%. It is also a company THEY stand behind 100% - hence their
contact with me.
Anyway,
the company in question is called Uncommon
Goods (www.uncommongoods.com).
After doing a bit of research on them, I find them to be a very interesting
company. They sell “handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment
and without harm to animals or people.”
We
can certainly use more of that objective in the world!
Here
is a quote taken from the PR material they sent me:
Founded in 1999 and
headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, UncommonGoods is a privately-owned
retailer that endeavors to feature unique designs and handcrafted gifts created
in harmony with the environment and without harm to animals or people. We run
all our operations out of the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal, including our
warehouse where the lowest-paid seasonal worker starts at 50% above the minimum
wage. We make it our mission to support and provide a platform for artists and
designers; in fact, half of what we sell is made by hand. Most of the products
we carry are created right here in the USA, and about one-third of our entire
collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials. At the core of our
company is a great respect for the integrity of the creative individual and the
belief that it is our responsibility to use our business to impact the world in
a positive way.
Getting
back to the connection with Women for Women International and the whole reason
I was contacted: Uncommon Goods has a program they call Better to Give. Just go to their website and do your shopping as
usual. In the check-out stage, you will be given an opportunity to request that
a donation be made in your name to charity.
Again,
here’s a quote I’m taking directly from their PR material:
Better to Give: As an
independently-owned business, we have the freedom to support causes we believe
in and to impact the world in a positive way. With every purchase you make,
we’re proud to donate $1 to the non-profit of your choice. Since we started the
Better to Give program 12 years ago,
we’ve donated over $300,000 to charities around the world!
Currently,
they have four charities to choose from:
•
RAINN is the nation's largest
anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN carries out programs to prevent sexual
violence, help survivors, and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.
•
American Forests protects and
restores forests worldwide, helping to preserve the health of our planet for
the benefit of its inhabitants.
•
Women for Women International
provides women survivors of war with the tools and resources to move from
crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency.
•
City Harvest strives to end hunger
in communities throughout New York City through food rescue, distribution, and
education.
With
Christmas just around the corner – perhaps now is a good time to check this
out.
Go
Shopping!
