Looking to gift with purpose this holiday season? Stand Together Foundation created an extensive guide highlighting over 50 transformative nonprofits to help anyone find charitable gifts that give back.
Below you'll find a few of the organizations empowering individuals. These nonprofit social enterprises all have powerful stories, whether they're women survivors of trafficking, justice-impacted young people, or individuals overcoming substance use disorder. They also have a great selection of gifts that support people on their journey to reach their full potential.
A product from one of these organizations is a great gift. It also offers someone else a path to self-fulfillment. It's a win-win.
Bonton Farms: Cultivating growth in South Dallas
Bonton Farms is located in the Bonton neighborhood in South Dallas, where 48% of residents live in poverty. After starting as a garden in a small lot, the organization now boasts two of the largest urban farms in the United States. Bonton Farms is catalyzing transformation, creating jobs, hope, and fresh food for the residents of Bonton.
"People are capable and filled with hope and potential," says Executive Director Daron Babcock. "They just need the opportunities, and those opportunities have to be built in the environment where they come from."
Gift ideas:
Unshattered Handbags: The gift of hope and recovery
Unshattered's handbags are not just beautifully designed. Handcrafted from upcycled fabrics by women in recovery, each bag carries a story of strength and resilience. Unshattered supports these designers through employment, personal development and a supportive community while achieving sobriety.
"There is a vulnerability of women, first and foremost economically, but also physically in that world of addiction," says founder Kelly Lyndgaard. "And there's not a lot of resources out there, especially when a woman has a child dependent on her, to help her navigate her way up."
Gift ideas:
The Phoenix: Strength, resilience and community
The Phoenix is changing how we look at addiction and recovery. The Phoenix's holiday collection has options for people in recovery, people who choose to live a sober life, people who are sober-curious, or people who want to support others in sobriety. Every purchase you make helps fuel this movement.
"For you and I to talk about our deepest pain and anxiety and fear, that's hard," says The Phoenix's founder, Scott Strode. "But for us to take on a challenge together, side by side, it creates some vulnerability, and later we can get into some deeper stuff ,,, I think we bond when we face some greater adversity together."
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Thistle Farms: A safe space for vulnerability and growth
When she founded Thistle Farms, Becca Stevens envisioned a place where women could heal, grow, and find their way home, providing everything they need to regain independence and stability. The women create handcrafted products like candles, body care items and teas. Every product represents the pride and dedication of the women who make them.
"One of the core values of Thistle Farms is that we come together as equals," says Stevens. "Our motto is, 'Love heals.' I think of love as the powerful force for change in the world. I think of love as consistency. Always showing up. Not turning our back on the hard things. And speaking our truth with humility and courage."
Gift Ideas:
Café Momentum: A taste of hope and opportunity
Café Momentum is on a mission to empower young individuals who've faced challenges in the juvenile justice system. The restaurant offers paid internships to justice-involved youth. Find the perfect gift for those who savor both extraordinary food and the chance to make a difference.
"None of these issues happened overnight, and the impact you seek is not going to happen overnight either," says Chef Chad Houser. "You have to take the first step, then comes the second step, and then the third step. And if you stumble and fall, stand up bigger and stronger, and don't make the same mistake twice. Just keep moving forward."
Gift ideas:
Women's Bean Project: Cooking up a brighter future
Women's Bean Project is a transitional employment program that assists women who've struggled with chronic unemployment to reach self-sufficiency. The organization provides women with opportunities to work on producing various food products while providing wrap-around care, such as housing, child care or health care support.
"We address the whole person," says Tamra Ryan, Women's Bean Project's chief executive officer. "We call it the 'bean' job and the 'you' job. Everything we do is focused on helping someone overcome the things that often get in the way of getting and keeping a job."
Gift ideas:
See Stand Together Foundation's full Gift Guide here.
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Stand Together Foundation partners with the nation’s most transformative nonprofits to break the cycle of poverty.
Learn more about Stand Together's efforts to build strong and safe communities, and explore ways you can partner with us.
