Emanuel Congregation's Chanukah Market - Fair Trade and Locally Crafted Goods

It is our privilege to be a part of Emanuel Congregation’s Chanukah Market on Sunday, November 8^th from 10:15am to 2:00pm. Emanuel Congregation is located at 5959 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago.

The Chanukah Market is promoting fair trade, while at the same time encouraging buyers to purchase locally crafted goods. Items include fair trade coffee, local foods, jewelry, hand-crafted soaps, textiles and judaica. Many wonderful products that will help give back on a local and global level. We look forward to representing one socially conscious business at this Chicago event.

Fundraiser for StreetWise Chicago

five ACCESSORIES put on a successful fundraiser for StreetWise in Chicago. We launched our new product line called 'Off The Street' featuring products sourced and produced by vendors of StreetWise, a Chicago based social enterprise designed to help elevate formerly been homeless or severly impoverished men and women out of povertly. By employing individuals and enabling to keep them off the street and using littered material off the street of Chicago, we are offering a unique eco-friendly accessory line consisting of bracelets, buttons, belts, pins and picture frames constructed and adorned with the items such as transit cards, bottle caps, ticket stubs and other urban refuse. As with all of fiveACCESSORIES sales, 15% of gross income will be donated back.

Shop The Fair Trader Chicago

five ACCESSORIES is in a New Retail Store – The Fair Traders in Hyde Park

This week marked another new beginning as we partner with The Fair Traders store in Hyde Park to sell our products at a new retail location. We are excited about the possibilities of offering our products to a new clientele. Thank you, ladies at Fair Traders, for your beautiful support and interest in providing your customers with products from five ACCESSORIES.
You may learn more about The Fair Traders, their business and exact location by visiting their website at http://thefairtraderchicago.com/

October is Fair Trade Month

Fair Trade Month – 31 Days and 31 Ways to Support Fair Trade

The month of October is Fair Trade Month and TransFair USA has created a website to celebrate. At the website you will find 31 ways to support fair trade, one for each day of the month. Sorry that we are late in announcing this, but it is never too late to start since there are still close to 20 days left in October.
For example for Saturday, October 10 this is what they had on their home page for fair trade ideas:

Ask for it! – If you don’t see a fair trade item in the store…ask!
Fair Trade Certified at a Store near You – if you don’t know if the store is fair certified…ask!

For more details about 31 Days and 31 Ways to make a difference in fair trade, please visit http://www.fairtrademonth.org/ for some amazing thoughts, ideas and sponsors. Ask and support fair trade!

Climate Action Giveaway

WE ADD UP

Recently, we were given the opportunity to participate and showcase our eco-friendly designer handbags in what is being called The World’s Biggest Green Sweepstakes (And Help Solve the Climate Crisis at the Same Time). Climate week began last week, September 23, and will end with international climate talks in Copenhagen in early December. Here’s the goal:

“The goal of the Climate Action Giveaway is to get 1 million people to learn about the climate crisis and also to participate in short, easy actions each week that collectively will add up to big change. Whether it be e-faxing their Senator or taking part in creative actions about COP15 in Copenhagen, the actions will be directed from non-profit organizations 1Sky and 350.org, who are each working to create a successful outcome during this unprecedented season of climate opportunity.

The Climate Action Giveaway is the world’s biggest green sweepstakes! All participants of this project are entered to win exciting prizes from their favorite brands (like five ACCESSORIES!). Drawing will take place on December 7th, the first day of the international climate talks in Copenhagen.”

five ACCESSORIES has donated the following items: 2 medium Sand Bamboo clutches and 2 Triangle Bracelets. So don’t put off joining the fun, go to www.weaddup.com and enter the chance to win some great prizes! There is no cost or obligation, just enter your name and email and you’ve entered the sweepstakes.

Supporting Bridge to Success

five ACCESSORIES , a Chicago socially conscious online store, is supporting Bridge to Success on Wednesday, September 30th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at The Metropolitan Club in Chicago, IL.

Bridge to Success, a social enterprise program of Heartland Human Care Services, provides coaching coupled with high-end interview and work place appropriate clothing for low-income, hard-to-employ men, women and youth to build self-confidence through appearance, interview preparation and a sense of "belonging" at the workplace. More info. can be found on their website at The Bridge to Success. The Bridge to Success .

Supporting PAVE in Chicago

PAVE is a national, nonprofit that uses education and action to shatter the silence of sexual violence. Through social awareness campaigns, educational outreach, and targeted legislative efforts we work to end sexual violence on all fronts.

PAVE is both prevention and response based. They educate on cultural norms that encourage or trivialize violence while also creating grassroots action against injustices to victims and survivors.

five ACCESSORIES is excited to support PAVE by donating a charity handbag as shown above to their annual Fear No Fashion Event on Sunday, September 27, 2009. For more information please visit PAVE Chicago.

Fair Trade Federation

"The Fair Trade Federation (FTF) is the trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organizations fully committed to fair trade. The Federation is part of the global fair trade movement, building equitable and sustainable trading partnerships and creating opportunities to alleviate poverty."

For more information about The Fair Trade Federation visit their website.

Chicago Fair Trade

Chicago is working towards becoming a city known for its Fair Trade values and practices. Help Fair Trade Chicago achieve these goals: "Bring fair trade items to your workplace, school, hair salon, lawyer's office, or congregation, and help us become a Fair Trade City.

Fair Trade Resolution for Chicago's City Council states that "the City must recognize the comprehensive labor conditions that may be supported by its actions, including a living wage, sustainable production practices and a work environment free from toxins; and Fair Trade certification is an innovative, market-based system that encourages family sustaining wages and a healthy and safe work environment by identifying food, beverage and handicrafts products that generate economic benefit to the producers of these products often farmers and artisan groups in developing countries."

The next Fair Trade meeting is this fall on Monday, September 21st from 6:00PM- 08:00PMIt would be a great opportunity to become better educated in Fair Trade, how Chicago is working towards its goals and how you can help.

five ACCESSORIES, a Chicago Eco Friendly Boutique, is a member of Chicago Fair Trade.

Education in Cambodia

Cambodia is one of the poorest nations in the world. It has a population of 11.4 million people and a 62% illiteracy rate in the adult population.

16% of all the children ages 6-11 are not in school and in some of the more remote areas this can be as high as 50%.

In a 1999 CSES Survey an estimated 1.6 million (about 25%) of school age children not attending full-time gave household income/work in the rice fields as the number one reason for not being in school. Whereas, only 8% cited the lack of quality accessible education as their primary hindrance in not attending school.

Due to the low participation in higher education, five ACCESSORIES desires to assist these families in educating their children. That is why we give back through the sale of our charity handbags. As pictured, the large messenger bag made in Cambodia from five ACCESSORIES http://tinyurl.com/mpmded