Everyone knows that Christmas is the time for giving, and for most of us, giving is shared amongst our family, close friends, co-workers, and sometimes, distant friends and relations. It is easy during this time to become focused, solely, on our insular lives, and forget, about the troubles of those less fortunate in the world, not to mention the earth herself. There has been a revolutionary movement in communities to pull away from large corporate moguls, and to bring the attention back home by shopping locally, supporting small businesses, crafters, and artisans. Presents of Mind is a staunch supporter of Portland, and Oregon, artists and designers, but we also extend our buying to other parts of the country, in order to bring you the most interesting, and eye catching designs, and products.
In this post we would like to highlight four amazing companies that not only design beautiful and fashionable merchandise, but these four companies take an active part in giving back to our world through eco friendly products, fair trade and hiring practices, and giving proceed percentages to national and international causes.

Rise Up

Rise Up’s organic t-shirts are hip, comfortable, and cool. Their designs scream political and environmental awareness. Sharp, artistic, and daring. The sister company to Rise Up International, Rise Up Clothing’s manifesto is to use the fashion industry to empower children of poverty. Rise Up International and Rise Up Clothing’s fight to end poverty is taking place in the classrooms, by raising money to allow children of poverty to attend school. Just recently, 20 teens from Nicaragua, growing up and living in garbage dumps, have received scholarships that have allowed them to go to high school. Rise Up International was established in 2004, and her sister company, Rise Up clothing, in Bend, Or, began in 2007, and since that date, over 30% of their sales have been donated towards local and global empowerment. Rise Up’s manufactures work with farmers that use sustainable agricultural practices, and are certified with the Organic Trade Association, and Organic Exchange.

Jedidiah

Out of San Diego, Jedidiah is a humanitarian based fashion brand. In 2004, Jedidiah created the Hope Collection, a t-shirt line, that helps to raise money for various social aid programs, and humanitarian organizations through-out the world. Since 2004, Jedidiah has raised over $328, 963.00 from the Hope Collection. Jedidiah gives 5% of your sales purchases to support a specific project. When you buy a t-shirt with a Hope Collection sticker you are making a conscious purchase supporting organizations like: Invisible Children, Street Angles, and Gabriel House.

Open Hand Designs

Open Hand Designs has been in the heart of India since 1999, hiring the “unhirable,” people who are deemed unworthy for employment due to cast, religion, physical disabilities or disease, such as HIV. Open Hands Designs’ staff is given medical care, job training, and decent livable wages above the local standard, allowing their employees to comfortably support their family. Open Hand Designs has also helped to provide educations for some staff, and their family members. Their commitment is to create beautiful, stylish, functional fashion accessories, that have been created in safe, and clean working environments, that value cultural identity, and are not made at the expense of human health or dignity. 10% of all sales, meaning your purchases, goes to stopping human trafficking, and they are partners with Wellspring Living an organization dedicated to creating restorative environments for children of childhood trauma.

Ecojot

This Canadian paper company, builds its journals and notebooks out of 100% recycled paper products. It is acid free, processed chlorine free, made with vegetable based ink and glue so it is bio-degradable. There are no new trees used to make their paper products and the paper mill is powered by biogas from a nearby landfill. Ecojot not only makes paper from 100% recycled paper products, so, you can continue to write your dreams, and jot down notes, knowing that no new forest has been disrupted. They also support Evergreen, a Canadian not-for profit organization that is dedicated to making cities, and thus our world more livable through such projects as reducing habitat destruction, fighting invasive species, and addressing climate change. Climate change? That is right, when you purchase from Ecojot your money goes to fighting global warming through collaborative community effort to create wildlife habitat, reduce erosion, and enhance urban tree canopy. Tree canopy helps to regulate temperature and helps us humans in reducing the consumption of harmful greenhouse producing gases. Remember trees = oxygen and less Carbon Dioxide, and this is good.

This Christmas, after the hustle and bustle of shopping has reached the end, and the gift giving begins, you can feel a deep warmth of goodwill as your special person receives a Rise Up or Jedidiah t-shirt, an Open Hand Design scarf or an Ecojot journal. When they smile and thank you, remember that an impoverished child just got the money to go to school, a young woman was saved from trafficking, a family was supported by a decent wage, and a city became green with trees allowing us to breath deeper. Act Locally, and you will reach, touch, and give globally. Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all.