s/o Holiday shopping for a cause

[Amira]

In the spirit of holiday shopping and trying to help people, what organizations/companies/nonprofits/whatever have you found where the money you spend more directly benefits people who need help?  For example, see bibiche's post and MSNative's comment.  

 

Here are a few I know about:

 

Hot Bread Kitchen (cookbook from a nonprofit providing job and language training for immigrant women)

 

Soup for Syria (cookbook whose proceeds go to Syrian refugees)

 

Ten Thousand Villages (fair trade products from all over the world)

 

Aizada Imports (felt handicrafts from Kyrgyzstan)

 

 

Comment with more suggestions and check out any suggestions yourself before purchasing to make sure they're doing as much good as possible.

[marbel]

Thanks for posting this.   I don't have anything to add, but I'm interested in a couple of those cookbooks and will be happy to check out other links that people may post.

 

It can be a struggle sometimes, though.  I love so many things at Ten Thousand Villages (and similar organizations) but so many are too expensive for me to buy.  That doesn't mean I think things are overpriced or not worth what they cost!  Just that I can't always afford the gifts that I would like to give.  

 

Every year a local church has a craft fair; some of the booths support various causes.  I always buy something at a booth that has beautiful textiles made in India.  I can't remember the name of the organization but it's a group that aims to get women working and out of poverty.    

[MercyA]

If anyone enjoys shopping at thrift stores for gifts, I recommend checking for a MCC Thrift Shop in your area. From their website: "MCC Thrift Shops support Mennonite Central Committee, a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches which shares God's love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice.​" MCC does tremendous work for refugees, indigenous people, and others affected by conflict, disaster, poverty, and disease (in particular HIV/AIDS). They started the Ten Thousand Villages fair trade shop years ago.

 

Serrv is another non-profit offering a variety of fair trade goods. They were founded in 1949 to help refugees resettling in America after WWII. 

[J-rap]

Thank you for starting this thread!

[scrapbookbuzz]

World Vision sends out a catalog every November in which you have the options of buying a goat or a cow or something thereof to help a needy family in Africa.

I think there is also an organization called the Heifer Project that does something similar.

[MercyA]

I bought my parents NPR t-shirts for Christmas.

 

You can also support animal sanctuaries like Best Friends Animal Society by shopping in their gift shops. 

[Carol in Cal.]

https://shop.equalexchange.coop/lwrcoffee/

 

 

[Carol in Cal.]

http://weavearealpeace.org/artisan-resource-guide/

[Carol in Cal.]

http://limitlesshorizonsixil.org/artisan-program/

[TravelingChris]

Yes my church has an Alternative Christmas Fair each year.  This year it will be this coming Sunday.  We have both goods made by impoverished people from different areas, like Palestine, Central America, India, etc and we have giving opportunities from both local and regional organizations plus world organizations like Heifer.   In my home, I have some artwork I really love that I bought at a similar fair years ago at another church we attended in CA, I think.  (We have attended so many churches because we lived in so many places).

[mommyoffive]

love this guys

keep them coming

 

I love that a company is setting such an amazing example too Patagonia's Black Friday sales hit $10 million -- and will donate it all

http://money.cnn.com/2016/11/29/technology/patagonia-black-friday-donation-10-million/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom

 

[MercyA]

I was very surprised to recently learn that Family Christian Stores are now non-profit and donate all earnings to Christian charities. This year their focus is on food, education, and water. Last year it was on human trafficking; they raised funds for a rescue home in the Dominican Republic. They have also helped build a neonatal and infant orphanage in Haiti and an orphanage and hospital in China.

[bibiche]

My siblings, I, and our mother asked for charitable donations  (to ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center, Natural Resources Defense Council to name some) rather than gifts this year.  DS always gets a donation from his cousins to Heifer International.  DS also asked Santa Claus for donations instead of presents this year (proud of my boy!), but we will see that he gets a few presents too. :)   Cousin presents we make ourselves.

 

ETA Thank you for the link to the cookbook, Amira. I will give out a few of these as well.

Edited November 29, 2016 by bibiche

[Liz CA]

http://saksaum.com/

This organization sells handmade items from women who were rescued from human trafficking.

 

 

[Caroline]

In the spirit of holiday shopping and trying to help people, what organizations/companies/nonprofits/whatever have you found where the money you spend more directly benefits people who need help?  For example, see bibiche's post and MSNative's comment.  

 

Here are a few I know about:

 

Hot Bread Kitchen (cookbook from a nonprofit providing job and language training for immigrant women)

 

Soup for Syria (cookbook whose proceeds go to Syrian refugees)

 

Ten Thousand Villages (fair trade products from all over the world)

 

Aizada Imports (felt handicrafts from Kyrgyzstan)

 

 

Comment with more suggestions and check out any suggestions yourself before purchasing to make sure they're doing as much good as possible.

 

I am throwing a dinner party in a couple of weeks. I just bought Soup for Syria and Hot Bread Kitchen to give a Christmas presents for the people who are coming to the party. I ordered copies for me, too, so maybe I can serve something from both books. Thanks, Amira!!

[Amira]

I am throwing a dinner party in a couple of weeks. I just bought Soup for Syria and Hot Bread Kitchen to give a Christmas presents for the people who are coming to the party. I ordered copies for me, too, so maybe I can serve something from both books. Thanks, Amira!!

Thank you. I'm happy to hear this!

 

I especially love the Hot Bread Kitchen book. The stories about the women are wonderful and the recipes are very good. Their recipe for pan de muertos is my favorite ever, and I've eaten and baked a lot of pan de muertos.

[Guest]

. I just donate cash to the regional food bank. They can buy wholesale, which is helpful as there are a quarter million people in the Hudson Valley and Capitol Area who havent seen recovery from the recession and are seeing higher health care etc costs and are recipients.