There are already many great articles paying tribute to those who gave or lost their lives in the events of  9/11, so I felt it was important today to pay tribute to the men and women that make a difference every day. Although they are not directly related to 9/11 they remind us that we are still human and that good people still exist. This article is not a review endorsing any specific product or brand, it simply acknowledges the hard work, dedication and desire that these companies have to change the world.

Moksa Organics

 

Moksa Organics was founded by a husband and wife team, Haskell and Melanie Martin, who are  wonderful people with kind hearts dedicated to creating a great array of soaps and body butters,in addition to educating their customers about the various charities they support. When you purchase one of Moksa’s high quality soaps a portion of proceeds are donated to the charity that coincides with it.

Recently the company joined forces with another one of my favorite organizations, the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW) Action Campaign for Elephants, to raise awareness about the unnecessary murder of these beautiful animals for ivory.

 

Calico Dragon Bags

Calico Dragon uses the bags they create as a way to raise awareness about various animal rights issues. However, what most people are unaware of  is that Calico Dragon has also emerged as a supporter of human rights, by slowly changing our perception of how we interpret the words “Made in China”. The workers employed by this company are  women who have escaped their abusive husbands. The women make these bags, in small quantities by hand, and collect a fair wage, enabling them to remained independent and support their children. A portion of the proceeds from each bag sold goes toward various animal rights charities.

“I love the look on a woman’s face when she reads the message on my “Mine Lost Hers” design, with the baby fox, while she is wearing a fur coat – priceless!” says founder Candy Brown. “Odds are she thinks about it later too!”

 

Kahina Giving Beauty

 

Kahina is a company that was created by its founder, Katharine Phillips L Heureux after a trip to Morocco. During this trip she discovered how beneficial using argan oil can be. This  prompted her to follow her dream to create a natural skincare line using this wonderful multi-use oil.

“I try to travel at least twice a year because I think it is important to get to know the Berber women to better understand their needs and not presume to know what is most important to them as well as to personally select the argan oil that we use in Kahina products.  We are committed to helping these women by giving back 25% of the profits from the sale of Kahina Giving Beauty products to support initiatives to help these women.”-Katharine Phillips L Heureux 

31 Bits

 

31 Bits is a jewelry company  that was founded in 2007 by  Kallie Dovel. While on a trip to Northern Uganda, Dovel had spent time with some of the woman, and after hearing their stories, she knew she had to do something to help them.

As of today, the company has about 63 employees that were displaced women in Northern Uganda. They are given an opportunity to rise above poverty. By giving them access to the international market, they are able to earn an income,allowing them to feed cloth and house their families. 31 Bits provides literacy education, financial and vocational training, holistic care and strong support systems to these hard working women.

 

Rescue Chocolate 

Rescue Chocolate was founded in 2010 by Sarah Gross in  Brooklyn. Gross’s company donates all of its net profits to various animal rescue organizations around the country.

“My inspiration for the company came one day as I was walking my rescued pit bull in the park. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals. In Louisiana (where I grew up), I used to volunteer at my local animal shelter. I became a vegetarian in middle school and a vegan in high school. I choose a different animal rescue group each month to receive a portion of the profits.” -Sarah Gross.

Recue Chocolate  creatively uses each flavor of their chocolate to educate their customers about issues, ranging from overcoming negative stereotypes that come with owning a Pit Bull, to highlighting the need for people to provide foster care for shelter animals while they wait and hope to find forever homes.

Epic Timepieces

 

This watch company was founded by Jeff and Jackie Bird shortly after a trip the couple had made to help with disaster relief in Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake. The Birds’  were moved by what they had witnessed. Theywanted to do what they could to help the Haitians that survived the earthquake that were now displaced and were dealing with a lack of food, clean water and medical aid.

Today through the sale of their watches the Birds’ are able to provide much needed resources in order to generate clean drinking water for individuals in Third World countries.

“Water is something that we take for granted, but for the people who live in Haiti it’s the difference between sickness and health, life and death. When people wear our watches they’re making an Epic Statement about what’s truly important … it’s not about the amount of money that they’re wearing on their wrist, but about the love, compassion and character within their hearts.”- Jackie Bird

(Courtesy Image: Calico Dragon Bags,  Moksa Organics,  Kahina Giving Beauty,  31 Bits,  Rescue Chocolate  and  Epic Timepieces)