Nearly $4,000 in merchandise and monetary donations were made to more than 20 local non-profits in 2014 by HumanKind Fair Trade, a non-profit retail store in San Luis Obispo specializing in fair trade goods from developing countries.
Recipients included SLO Literacy Council, SLO County Womenade, United Way Youth Board, Get on the Bus, CASA, Women’s Shelter Program, Senior Nutrition Project, the Sierra Club, Pacific Wildlife Care, St. Patrick’s School, KCBXFM Public Radio, Wilshire Hospice, SLO International Film Festival, American Association of University Women and Project Hope and Fairness.
“Many of these groups embody the spirit of the fair trade cooperatives that we represent at HumanKind…equality and education for women and girls, respect for their environment, dignity for workers and all people, “ said Laura Mullen, HumanKind Board president.
In addition to donating gift certificates and merchandise to help others raise needed funds, HumanKind also initiated special retail evenings in December where a percentage of sales went to other non-profits in the county.
“One of our goals in starting a non-profit store was that when we were able to consistently cover our own expenses, then we would share some of our abundance with others in our community,” Mullen said. “This is something we would love to see increase in the future.”
The store, located at 982 Monterey Street, opened for business July 1, 2009.
HumanKind Fair Trade helps provide fair income to artisans in the developing world by selling their products and telling their stories in San Luis Obispo. Products include clothing, accessories, Jewelry, home decor, toys, social justice books and cards.