Gift Ideas Archives

12 Holiday Gifts To Fight Human Trafficking

by Misa Nguyen | Dec 18, 2020 | Fair Trade

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! This last-minute gift idea list will make your holiday shopping a breeze.

Between the gems of local Houston small businesses and the brands carried by our favorite chain stores, ethical products are very attainable for the average consumer.

Local Businesses

One of my personal favorite spots to shop responsibly is at the 11th Street Market hosted by A 2nd Cup, Houston’s non-profit coffee shop working to end human trafficking.

This monthly market is a great opportunity to visit and meet the owners of ethically sourced small businesses and browse the large array of products offered at their booths.

While perusing various brands, I found a diverse list of gift ideas for every member of the family!

1. Au Naturals

For the environmentally conscious lovers of beauty, Au Naturals Body Care offers locally made products with unique recipes made from organic ingredients.

Gift Set: $55

2. Benschop + Beck

Benschop + Beck offers custom pieces to decorate your loved one’s home, and the one of a kind works of art are as unique as they are.

3. Divercity

You can show off your Houston pride with the eco-friendly brand Diverscity Clothing. The value of celebrating our city’s diversity is a core aspect of this local company.

Backpack: $50

For fun accessories of all styles, Gold Clover Company has so much to choose from! Not only are you giving back to local businesses, but also the community with $1 from each purchase donated to The Bee Community.

Necklace: $54

5. Redemption Song Foundation

Redemption Song Foundation features handmade baskets, jewelry, and more to support growing healthy communities and sustainable practices in Uganda.

Green Lidded Basket: $10

6. Refuge For Women Gulf Coast

Check out these survivor-made gifts at Refuge for Women Gulf Coast! For those who don’t favor material gifts, consider sponsoring a room, which allows women survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation to receive safe housing, counseling, and life and works skill development.

Large Warmer Winter Bundle: $40

To view even more local businesses’ products and stories, visit the 11^th Street Market webpage or visit in-store at A 2nd Cup.

Fair Trade Finds At Target

Target and Whole Foods are good places to find ethically sourced and responsibly manufactured products too.

7. Goodweave

Target partners with Goodweave to create opportunities for childhood education, fair working conditions, and sustainable practices in the textile industry.

8. Green Toys

Another Target partner, Green Toys, is the perfect brand to find recycled toys for children manufactured in the USA while guaranteeing fair labor and a responsible supply chain.

Rocket: $25

9. W3LL People

Ethical makeup and cosmetics can be a struggle to find, but W3LL PEOPLE provides natural, non-toxic, and cruelty-free beauty products at your local Target.

Environmentally friendly and sustainable ingredients paired with ethical labor practices by hand-making their products in the USA is a win-win for any consumer.

Lipstick: $15

10. Meow Meow Tweet

The bath and body products from Meow Meow Tweet in Target stores share the same mission with only organic and fair-trade ingredients while handmaking every product in the USA. An added bonus, the packaging contains no plastic and reduces environmental waste.

Candle & Soap Duo: $35

11. Threshold

Target also carries Threshold linens, towels, and certified bedding that are both organic and Oeko-Tex Certified to protect textile workers from commercial pesticides and toxic chemicals.

Blanket: $30

12. Equal Exchange

Equal Exchange can be found in multiple retailers, including Target! Their coffee and chocolate are fair-trade certified, which means they ensure ethical labor and sustainable practices in their supply chains.

Equal Exchange also supports small scale farmers in developing areas to foster growth in their communities and quality of life, so these treats are the perfect way for your loved one to indulge while giving back!

Solidarity Box: $50

Fair Trade At Whole Foods & Wal-Mart

Whole Foods

Whole Foods is the go-to spot for ethically sourced food and other products. Showing your love through treats and dishes made from responsibly sourced ingredients is a breeze with the quality standards, be certified or supported by an approved third-party verifier, come from a supplier with a transparent relationship to Whole Foods, and have a measurable and positive impact on workers in their supply chains, communities and the environment.

Even their flowers follow these fair trade specifications, so spice up your gifts with some naturally beautiful flourishes.

Wal-Mart

Walmart sports a new fashion brand, Free Assembly, with eco-conscious clothing items at affordable prices for everyone in the family!

Happy Shopping!

Whether you need clothes, accessories, art pieces, or sweet treats to put together for the fast approaching holidays, these brands offer everything you need and more! Our favorite stores are making it easier than ever to be an environmentally conscious and ethically sourced consumer with so many l products to choose from. Happy shopping!

Learn More about uaht

7 Holiday Gifts that Fight Human Trafficking

by Anna Johnston | Dec 10, 2019 | News Room

“What can I do to help fight human trafficking?”

It’s the most common question we hear from you, our motivated community.

Every day, you can disrupt the cycle of abuse. You can change lives through gift giving. You don’t need to work at a non-profit or receive special training. Shopping for friends, family, and even a treat for yourself, ensures that survivors stay free and abuse ends.

How is shopping a solution?

Buying gifts from brands that pay fair wages, hire survivors, and invest in their community, keeps people free. You ensure that a farm worker can provide for her family and that a sex trafficking victim can stay away from his captor.

Imagine a creative and skilled survivor just learned that someone purchased a necklace made by her hands. A smile lights up her face as she remembers she is loved and capable because you choose to buy her craft – rather than her body.

Each purchase is an encouragement to press on into pursing a fair and free future. We’ve made it easy for you to fight human trafficking through gift giving. Look at our fun list below. There is something for everyone!

for the chocolate lover

1. Raspberry Chocolate Bar by Xocolla – $9

Guilt free chocolate is a favorite for everyone. This decadent chocolate made in Sugar Land, Texas is not only fair trade, but delicious! This handcrafted chocolate is sure to be loved by your kids, spouse, or friend.

If you’re not feeling adventurous with the raspberry flavor, they keep stocked with the standards – milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate. They even have a KETO chocolate bar for your health-conscious friends and other fruit flavors to try!

for the fashionista

2. Egyptian Fan Headwrap by The Sparrow Studio – $14

The fashionistas in your life know that bold headwraps are an essential accessory for this season. The Sparrow Studio has this ideal Egyptian Fan Headwrap for just $14 dollars. You don’t have to choose between inexpensive or ethically sourced. A cooperative of 27 talented, creative women in Kigali, Rwanda handmake these accessories. These hard working are women are creating a business that fuels hope in their community.

These headwraps make a perfect stocking stuffer! Check out all the colorful patterns. Smaller sizes are available for young kids.

for him

3. Men’s Shave Bag by Hilltop of Hope – $20

Treat the man in your life to this classy shave bag. Why? This purchase provides a sustainable source of income for survivors! Hilltop of Hope by Sugar Creek Baptist Church is dedicated to restoring victims of human trafficking in the red light districts of South Asia. All of the profit allows them to escape their captors and rebuild their lives.

for the kids

4. Child’s Knit Bear Hat by Community Cloth – $20

This fun hat is crafted by refugee women in Houston. Ending exploitation also means supporting the people traffickers target. The Community Cloth provides training and peer support for displaced women. This expands market opportunities for refuges as they create homes in an unfamiliar country. Warm your little one with these sweet, cozy hats. This is just one of the many kinds of clothing, home goods, and accessories that these hardworking women create.

for the techie

5. Computer Sleeve by Hilltop of Hope – $35

We all know techies care about details. These computer sleeves have a top zipper computer compartment with extra padding on back. The front zipper compartment has three net pockets for cords and accessories. Coming in all kinds of colors, patterns, and sizes, there’s a perfect one for the technical person you want to treat. The women at Hilltop of Hope are not only survivors of sex trafficking, they are advocates returning to the red-light district to give hope to other victims.

for the party host

6. Candle Club Subscription by Elijah Rising – $25 Monthly

It seems like everywhere you turn, there is a subscription box coming out. Food, clothes, books, and accessories are just a few examples. But what about a subscription that serves survivors of human trafficking here in Houston? Every month you’ll receive a beautiful candle, each one made by a trafficking survivor in our city. If you know someone who lights a candle for every occasion, this is the gift for them.

Elijah Rising provides long-term care for adult survivors of sex trafficking. They teach candle-making and business skills to survivors. These survivors are building a sustainable career and a bright future.

for her

7. Brass Layered Necklace by Branded Collective – $48

Heirlooms are valuable because they tell the story of someone that is meaningful. This beautiful necklace is not only made by a trafficking survivor in the U.S., but it has the maker’s initials inscribed on it. When you receive the necklace, you can visit the website and read that survivor’s story. The best part? You can even send an encouraging message to the survivor who made your jewelry!

Skip the shipping lag time by visiting A 2nd Cup in the Heights! Grab a cup of fair trade coffee and peruse their store; you’ll find many of these brands there!

You can feel good about these gifts, knowing that they prevent abuse and support survivors.