donation time!

first of all, a big thanks to everyone who has chosen to do better by purchasing an Interwoven Threads T-shirt. this past quarter has seen big impact in a number of new donation opportunities and i'm humbled by the ways in which your purchase of one organic T has yielded meaningful donations across the U.S.

because of you, buying a shirt for yourself, duplicate T-shirts have been donated in Kansas City and Chicago (as part of our donation program via eco-boutique Grasshopper 510). additionally, a monetary donation has been made to reflect the $5-per-shirt model for the new white tees, to Feeding America, which was formerly America's Second Harvest.

november's an important month. it's National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. many of the recipients of donated Interwoven Threads are teens in Kansas City and Chicago. they are a population close to my heart and Interwoven's mission of leveling the playing field among the haves and have-nots. from the inception of Interwoven, i wanted to provide non-hand-me-down clothing that people could be proud to wear. and we all remember our teen years - they are tough enough. having some awesome threads can truly make a difference in one's day.

as i donate shirts, a lot of feedback circles around teens and children being able to pick the style and size they like and most reflects their personality. during this month of awareness, think about the challenges homeless youth face. think about the zits, the awkwardness, the opposite sex, the need for privacy and personal growth...and then magnify that by the fact that the kids we're trying to help also carry the burden of homelessness. it's a great reason to pause. and an even better reason to do better.

thanks again to those who've purchased - your choice to do better is paying off!

Final 2007 shirt drop!

thanks to an amazing holiday sales blitz and an already-busy 2008, i had a lot of shirts to donate to reStart today. the best part of the donation was meeting a couple of the kiddos in their adolescent program who would get the shirts. these kids happened to be hanging around when i arrived, so they got first pick. many of the folks at reStart were excited to see the "green ones" appear. they've been wearing the blue and brown designs for the most part. after much prodding during the holiday photo shoot Rebecca and i did, i decided to print an extra run of the "green ones" for the final donation of 2007. thanks to the artist, sethy g.

we took these photos today, of two kids who were surely psyched to get some new threads. the boy pictured summed up the entire purpose of Interwoven Threads when one of the reStart employees said, "Do you want a T-shirt?" and he said, "Can I choose my own size?" that's the point, folks. so this little dude picked up a XL, as it was the style he was used to wearing and the style his friends wear. he threw the shirt on over his shirt immediately and began pointing out the make and models of the cars pictured. then, they were both excited to go tell the other kids there were new shirts downstairs.

both he and the girl pictured, who will move on from reStart within the month more than likely, got to pick the sizes they wanted and got a fresh piece of clothing none of their peers at school have ever seen! it's that type of reaction and those types of realizations that should make those of you who buy Interwoven proud. this is what we're trying to do. these reactions sum up "success" better than any QuickBooks balance sheet in my opinion.

i thank reStart for letting me use these photos to show all of you where your donations end up. and most of all, i thank those of you who have made Interwoven Threads part of your wardrobe. we are changing a little corner of our world.

i'm working out some new details for 2008's spring and summer shirts. the designs are done and a few (3!) new collaborations could launch late spring, so please stay tuned for new ways to do better with your purchases.