Recap of Sales Event #1
We are proud to announce our two new social good initiatives for the semester of Fall 2019: water conservation and human labor rights! Hoping to expand upon our mission of bringing awareness of injustices in the fashion industry through the production of sustainable apparel, we chose to focus on two prominent issues of water pollution and labor exploitation faced by the industry. As one of the largest polluters in the world, fast fashion continues to consume and destroy water sources, while also exploiting the labor of civilians, particularly women and children.
Our involvement with the initiatives include fostering partnerships with local organizations that work with water conservation and human labor rights for each sales event, as well as donating 40 to 60 percent of the sales profit to the partnered organization. A partnership may involve the promotion of the organization through our social media platforms and a subsequent donation.
We kicked off the first sales event of the semester by working with the Community Water Center and the Center for Workers’ Rights! Read further to learn about the mission, goals, and services provided by the two organizations.
Community Water Center
Established in 2006, the CWC has three main locations in Visalia, Sacramento, and Watsonville. The organization was established to develop and provide support for community-oriented solutions that focus on water inaccessibility in lower-income or marginalized communities, as well as work towards political solutions through advocacy and lobbying.
In addition to providing space for community-led discussions and solutions regarding water access, the Community Water Center has also helped to develop la Asociación de Gente Unida por el Agua, or the AGUA Coalition. The coalition is a grassroots movement composed of community members impacted by water inaccessibility as well as local nonprofit organizations. The CWC’s website highlights their goals:
AGUA organizes communities to address their immediate drinking water needs and advocate for actions that target the root cause of drinking water contamination in the Central Valley. AGUA aims to:
• Share information on community drinking water problems, opportunities, and solutions;
• Push for regional solutions to address the root causes of drinking water contamination; and
• Mobilize residents to participate in critical actions, events, and opportunities to address the drinking water crisis in the Central Valley.
This sales event, we were able to donate around 30% of our profits to the Community Water Center. This donation will go towards providing funding for the work of the AGUA Coalition, funding further legal advocacy at a local and statewide level, and help build their sustainable groundwater program, which secures a statewide safe and cost-effective drinking water fund, ensuring access to clean drinking water for California residents.
Center for Workers’ Rights
Launched in 2014, the Center for Workers’ Rights aims to serve workers, who are undergoing workplace injustices and simply don’t have the ability to afford legal services in the Sacramento area.
In addition to personal legal consultations for workers facing workplace issues, services include advocacy through the research of the root-cause of workplace injustices in different economic circumstances, the collaboration with various worker advocacy groups in California, and the connection of local workers to groups that specialize in a particular workplace injustice.
We were able to donate another 30% of our sales event to the Center for Workers’ Rights. This donation will go towards funding for the legal services to low-wage workers. As a free service that the Center offers to its clients, the Center relies heavily on community support and donations to ensure that all workers in Sacramento have access to the legal service when facing workplace injustices.
Authors: Sarah Roberts & Amy Oh | Graphics: Nada Lamie | Team: Social Good
