Some good shopping

Okay, here it is.  As promised a few weeks ago, here is a post about shopping for cool stuff and helping out great causes.  Did you know that Americans spent 31 BILLION dollars on the PETS!??????????

In case you still have your head stuck in the sand....I'll let you know that modern day slavery does indeed exist.  Human trafficking, woes of crushing poverty all lead  people desperate for work being taken advantage of.  Maybe we could spend some of that 31 billion dollars on helping people instead.  Here are some great ways to be sure you are getting good merchandise that was made and sold fairly. 

1.  Purses from Heartline Ministries in Port-au-Prince.  I toured this ministry(1 week before the earthquake) and witnessed the incredible work that God has done through Pastor John and his wife Beth. Click Here to read about this amazing ministry.  The women sew the purses with donated material.  This is no high-tech factory.  I'm tellin' ya..they use the old foot crank sewing machines from 1950.  I've carried my purse since last January and it is beautiful and very well made.  These would be awesome Christmas gifts.  Here are Abby and I modeleing our purse.

Inside the purse is a tag with the signature of the young lady who made your purse

Another Haitian craft that would be perfect to order right now is Christmas cards that are made with banana bark with poor families in Haiti.  I got some a few weeks ago from Food For The Poor and they are gorgeous. 
  Click Here to view and order them.

My parent's church is having a big emphasis in October on fair trade practices and human trafficking.  They are having a shopping bazaar that exhibits items bought at Ten Thousand Villages.Click Here to shop on their website and read their mission.

And, one more idea(I know there are many many great resources, but I haven't had time to research a bunch), you can help orphans in China living in institutions to get nutrition and medical care that they need.

 Support Love Without Boundaries Store and truly make a difference in a medically fragile orphaned baby, very often these are cleft-affected babies who die from starvation because lack of proper medical care and nutrition.


Happy Shopping and feel free to leave comments with more places to shop for a good cause!