Simple Shoes are an ethically sourced, ethically produced, sustainable line of footwear. To learn more about their production and their materials, check out the following links: Ethical Supply Chain Guidelines and Sustainable Materials. And remember that a portion of the proceeds from the products purchased through the links on our site will go to benefit SSGF. :)
"...To break all these sufferings, all these fetters of slavery..."
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Eco-Friendly Watches
Sprout watches are eco-friendly products that use materials like corn resin, organic cotton, bamboo, mineral crystal, mercury-free batteries, and recycled fiber. Plus, they are high quality and look amazing. :) Check out some of their designs below. And remember, a portion of the proceeds from products purchased through our site go to benefit SSGF. Talk about shopping for good.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Action Alerts from Change.org
________________________________________
_________________________________________
__________________________________________
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
SSGF Guide to Ethical Holiday Shopping
Still looking for those perfect presents to give to your loved ones? Check out these great gift ideas! All of these items are ethically produced, and they make for great, unique gifts! Have something you want to add to this list? Let us know! :) Happy holidays!!
The Working World: Fair Trade Shoes & Shirts
To see the full line of shoes, click here: The Working World: Fair Trade Shoes
Taraluna: Fair Trade Bags
Fun Stocking Stuffers!
For more great gift ideas, check out some of these product lines:
Monday, November 22, 2010
Two powerful poems by Andrea Gibson
I just wanted to share these with you. Please let me know what you think...
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
In honor of election day, we need your votes! :)
We are still in the running a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project (http://www.refresheverything.com/ssgf).
Grant winners are selected based on votes from the public--the top ten project ideas in the $25k category will receive the grant! Right now, we are #1 but we need your help to stay there!! We were hoping you could help get the word out about our project and encourage your supporters to vote for our idea. Here is the breakdown for how SSGF plans to use the grant:
$9,500 will be used to print 1,000 t-shirts for their ongoing awareness and fundraising campaign. SSGF t-shirts are produced by women who have escaped from the sex trade. They are FAIRTRADE certified, made from 100% organic cotton, and printed with eco-friendly water based dyes. The t-shirt campaign is designed to raise awareness about the realities of human trafficking. The profits from the sale of these shirts will be used to fund other SSGF initiatives. So, not only is the initial production of the shirts benefiting survivors of sex trafficking, but the sale of these shirts will also go to benefit survivors and help fight human trafficking.
$6,000 will be used to create a scholarship fund to help survivors cover the cost of job training or basic education courses. These scholarships are intended to help empower survivors and help women stay out of poverty. It will provide women the opportunity to tap into their potential and improve their socio-economic opportunities as they rebuild their lives.
$6,000 will be used to establish a second fund to provide emergency financial assistance for women in need. These funds may be used to help cover basic needs during acute crises, cover expenses related to urgent medical needs such as medication, or other urgent needs that may arise. These funds will be distributed on a case by case basis.
$3,000 will go towards purchasing urgently needed items for local shelters and organizations that serve survivors of trafficking and gender-based violence. We are specifically interested in assisting with direct client services by providing items such as clean clothing, toiletries, bed linens, basic medical supplies, etc. We hope to fill in some of the gaps in donations and resources created by the ongoing economic recession.
An additional $500 will go towards maintenance costs for the organization.
You can vote every day for the whole month of November--and every vote counts. We would greatly appreciate any support you could offer...
You can vote by using the following link: http://www.refresheverything.com/ssgf
You may ALSO vote by Texting "102193" to Pepsi (73774)! And by logging in via Facebook!! That is THREE different ways to vote each day!
Friday, September 24, 2010
Why We Love Ben & Jerry's
Other than the amazing flavors (like Cinnamon Buns--did I mention amazing?)...
We love Ben & Jerry's because...
They pay their workers a livable wage.
All full time manufacturing employees are paid enough to allow for a quality of life that includes decent housing, health care, transportation, food, recreation, savings, and miscellaneous expenses. In recent years, Ben & Jerry's livable wage has been more than twice the national minimum wage.
They are committed to community service.
In recent years, they have cooked, boxed, and planted food for the Vermont Food Bank, rebuilt houses in New Orleans, and built a playground in a low-income neighborhood in Berlin, Germany. In company-owned Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops, they have also created programs with nonprofit partners to help young people facing big challenges to learn job and life skills. Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen once said, “Business has a responsibility to give back to the community.” And we agree.
They give $1.8 million to nonprofit organizations every year through the Ben & Jerry's Foundation.
This philanthropy is employee-led by non-management, employee advisory groups who consider proposals and recommend grants. Some of the funded organizations include the Center for Immigrant Families, the United Workers Association, Farm Worker Pesticide Project, and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade.
They have a PartnerShop program that offer job and entrepreneurial training to youth and young adults that may face barriers to employment.
PartnerShops help people build better lives. They are independently owned and operated by community-based nonprofit organizations. And Ben & Jerry's waives the standard franchise fees and provides additional support to help nonprofits operate strong businesses. As PartnerShop operators, nonprofits retain their business proceeds to support their programs.
They work to reduce their impact on the environment.
They have created "the clean, green freezer" that use hydrocarbon gases. These freezers do not contribute to global warming or the depletion of the ozone layer. They are also a partner of the Dairy Stewardship Alliance, which promotes sustainable farming practices. They have created toolkits to helps dairy farmers assess their own practices and move toward economic, social, and environmental well-being. They also monitor their impact on global warming and invest in programs and projects that try to offset carbon emissions. Ben & Jerry's is "passionate about making their waste less wasteful" by finding creative ways to reuse or repurpose their production waste. And finally, they source all of the paperboard for their cartons from a supplier that uses pulp from sustainably managed forests, and are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
They use Fair Trade certified ingredients.
Many of Ben & Jerry's ice creams use Fair Trade certified vanilla from Uganda, Fair Trade certified cocoa powder from Cote d'Ivoire, Fair Trade certified cocoa powder from the Conacado cooperative in the Dominican Republic, and/or Fair Trade certified coffee beans from the Huatusco cooperative in Mexico. They also use ethically sourced macadamia nuts from Malawi.
They use ethically sourced ingredients and support ethical businesses.
All of the dairy used in their products come from family farms that have pledged not to treat their cows with artificial growth hormones. Plus, many of these farmers participate in their Caring Dairy programs that pursue more sustainable practices on the farms. And (one of our favorite aspects), the delicious brownies they use in many of their most popular flavors always come from the Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, NY. Greyston Bakery is a model for corporate ethics--they hire and support low-income people who are making the transition towards economic self-sufficiency. They provide housing for the homeless, childcare, employment training, jobs, and comprehensive health care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Through these programs, Greyston is able to reach (and change the lives of) over 2,000 people every year.
There are many more reasons that we love and respect Ben & Jerry's. While no company is perfect, we recognize and commend Ben & Jerry's for their incredible dedication to corporate ethics. And that is why we are buying Ben & Jerry's ice creams for our upcoming film screening. :)
And did we mention that the Cinnamon Buns flavor is incredible? Rock on, Ben & Jerry's. You guys understand how to be a force for freedom.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Keep Spreading the Word!
We still need your votes and support in the Pepsi Refresh Project!! Remember you can vote everyday. Want to learn more about how the grant money will be spent? Check out this blog from our friend at The Hungry Feminist:
To vote, go to www.refresheverything.com/ssgf
Or text 102193 to PEPSI (73774)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Pepsi Refresh Grant: How the Money Will Be Spent
We have been asked the following question, and we wanted to clarify: Why is so much money being spent on t-shirts?
$9.5k will be used to purchase 1,000 shirts for our fundraising and awareness campaign.
SSGF t-shirts are printed on fair trade, certified organic cotton using eco-friendly, water-based inks. We work with the organization Freeset Global to produce all of our shirts. The t-shirts are made by women in Kolkata, India who have escaped the sex trade. Freeset provides women a way out of poverty and prostitution by offering them skills training, job placement, access to healthcare, and more. The production of these shirts directly benefits the women of Freeset. To learn more about Freeset Global, visit their website at http://freesetglobal.com.
Money raised from the sale of the t-shirts goes to fund other SSGF initiatives. Not only is the initial production of the shirts benefiting survivors of sex trafficking, but the sale of these shirts will also benefit survivors and help fight human trafficking.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Help SSGF Win a $25,000 Grant!!
She Shall Go Free is a growing non-profit organization dedicated to fighting against sexual slavery, human trafficking, and other forms of exploitation or violence against women and girls. We focus our efforts on awareness raising campaigns, fair trade and ethical consumerism, fundraising for anti-trafficking programs, and unique initiatives designed to make a visible impact in the fight against injustice.
Right now, we are in the running for a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.
Winners are selected based on votes from the public, so we need YOUR help to make this happen! You can vote for us EVERY DAY for the whole month of September--and making sure you vote every day will really help us!!
You can vote by using the following link: http://pep.si/ao9gjA
You may ALSO vote by Texting 102193 to Pepsi (73774)! By voting online and via text message, you can give us two votes a day!
Remember, you can vote every day!! Please spread the word and help us make this dream a reality for our organization!
With love and freedom,
Lauren Dawson & Jessica Hinman
Monday, August 16, 2010
"The Day My God Died"
I am currently watching this documentary again and once again find myself sobbing uncontrollably out of anger and heartbreak and disbelief. There are days where the weight of this truth is so heavy and the passion inside me for justice is so overwhelming, I fear I might break. There are days where it consumes me.
I ache for these girls and women.
I am enraged by the violence
and injustice
and unspoken horrors committed against them.
I am heartbroken by their hopelessness,
inspired by their resilience,
disillusioned by their struggles,
and encouraged by their recovery.
They are the reason I do this work, why I throw my heart and soul into this cause, why I yearn to be there and walk beside them step by step on the path to freedom.
I feel like I am bursting at the seams today, and I wish I could make everyone around me understand why. I hope this documentary helps convey what's in my heart and head a bit. And I hope it makes other people feel the same flurry of emotions (though I swear "emotions" doesn't even begin to encompass this) that I am feeling.
Anyone can be a force for freedom. How is your heart being called today?
Contact us at ssgf.usc@gmail.com for more ways to get involved. Remember, we are still collecting items/donations for the CAST LA shelter for trafficking survivors. Every little bit helps.
Friday, August 13, 2010
New SSGF Campaign Poster
BE A FORCE FOR FREEDOM! Report suspected cases of human trafficking today. You can also find more information on trafficking in your area by calling the national trafficking hotline (1-888-373-7888)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Follow us on Twitter!!
She Shall Go Free is now on Twitter!! Follow us for the latest news, updates, and tweets about anti-trafficking initiatives! We would love your continued support. <3
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Back to School Time!
It's back to school time! We know people will be searching for the best deals on textbooks, supplies, and other back to school items. But this is also a great opportunity to donate to SSGF. By purchasing your back to school items through the links below, a portion of your purchase will go to benefit SSGF. And all you have to do is use the links below to purchase the items you need. It is a simple way to get great deals on all your needed items and do some good in the fight against trafficking.
- Textbook Shopping
- Find the textbooks you need at great prices. Many are also available for free shipping!
- Amazon Student: Essential Back to School Items
- Find everything from Twin XL sheets to printers and ink
- Office & School Supplies
- Pens, pencils, printer paper, and more
- Graphing Calculators
- Need a new TI-83 or TI-84 Plus or a scientific calculator for your class?
- Backpacks for All Ages
- JanSport, Quiksilver, Disney themed, and more
- Messenger Bag Styles
- Great options and styles for messenger bags!
Here are some other great items we think you might enjoy. All of the following items are fair trade and/or certified organic:
_____
KITCHEN & COOKWARE:
_____
BAGS:
_____
BEDDING & HOME DECOR:
_____
CLOTHING:
_____
SCHOOL SUPPLIES:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)