When I discovered there were people behind products - Delicate Fortress Creations
Friends, are you aware of the amount of money that is thrown around at Christmas in this country? Can you say 500 BILLION DOLLARS? Would you ever guess, Mrs. “Average American”, that your family will spend around $2,000 on gifts and decorations and the like this Christmas season? Have you thought about the fact that the day after celebrating all they have to be grateful for, real-life humans get in tug-of-wars over Sesame Street toys and video games?
There is a way to make some of this Christmas-time-money-throwing stick at something that really matters. And thank the Lord for that, because it nearly redeems Christmas time and all of its excess.
Each year for Christmas, my super hip aunt gets me an unusual, interesting gift. Like the year she got her hands on antique cameras and re-purposed them into bookends. Or the time she took me on a shopping spree at a chocolate making shop. Or when she bought me my own percolator and coffee at eight years old (I’ve been hooked ever since. I thank you, dear aunt.).
Then there was the year, about 15 years ago, before I had even heard the term “fair trade,” that she visited a small fair trade boutique downtown and got me a little nativity set made in Bangladesh. It was gorgeous. For the first time in my life, I thought about the people behind the gift. And the thought that the beautiful figures sitting on my dresser had fed or clothed or protected a family made me happier than the beautiful gift itself.
Back then, fair trade shopping was a destination. Once a year or so I would be able to get to one of the few shops in a couple hour radius to pick something up. I loved the idea of directly benefiting people with my purchases, but getting connected to those products and people was not easy.
Thankfully, this isn’t the case anymore. The internet is a wonderful thing, folks.
Let me introduce you to Delicate Fortress Creations. Delicate Fortress Creations is like the online one-stop-shopping department store of fair trade. As much as I want you to visit and buy from every single organization on my “Gifts that Give” lists, you could probably get away with just checking them out.
Delicate Fortress creates partnerships with other organizations and fair trade companies, doing the work of finding and bringing beautiful products to you all in one place. The organizations they partner with do good for those in extreme poverty, women rescued from trafficking, orphans, and some of the other most vulnerable people in the world. You can even shop “by purpose,” depending on the causes you or the people on your list are passionate about.
Make sure that as you browse, you click on the "Artisan Info" tab to read about who you're supporting. I thought the men's/women's leather card holder below was adorable, but when I read that it's made with cruelty free leather (from animals that have already died!) and that it's created by artisans of the Chamar "untouchable" class in India who cannot interact (aka be employed by) other classes, I thought: Well, I guess everyone I know is getting a card holder this year. Seriously, family and friends, I hope you enjoy it.
Delicate Fortress offers more than just the run of the mill jewelry and scarves of many fair trade companies. With everything from home decor to pajamas to kitchen supplies to skin care, there is something for every. person. on your list.
Check out some of the beauties below, but check out the full site to learn more about all their products and the causes and people behind them.
