June | Fair Trade Friday | 2023

THRIVE

It’s our goal for 2023 to help you slow down, center yourself in the Gospel, and thrive. Each box this year will include a floral theme and a word of the month designed to encourage you to thrive. This greenhouse illustration above will continue to fill with flowers every month. By the end of 2023, it will be full of blossoms just as your home will be full of inspiration and amazing ethically made finds.

"It’s always summer somewhere.” —Lily Pulitzer

Summer is in full bloom. Summer is the earth showing off after a long winter.

There’s nothing quite like the surprise of a beautiful overnight blossom that simply wasn’t there and then it is. Just because we don’t always see growth, doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Wind and storms, darkness and drought contribute to growth as much as the sun.

God uses everything. “Under the sun, through the rain, you will bloom all the same,” wrote Morgan Harper Nichols.

We can take courage from the flowers—the way their roots stretch in the darkness and prepare for growth, their resilience in the often harsh elements of too much or not enough, the way they turn towards the sun and reach for the light.

If God cares that flowers bloom, how much more does He care that we do too?

“Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” Luke 12:27-28

Bloom, friends. Take the work of winter, the rain of spring, and enjoy the sun on your skin.

This month’s Fair Trade Friday is a celebration of summer and an excuse to relax in the sun with some ethical summer essentials.

TURKISH TOWEL

MADE

BY KALKEDON TOWELS IN TURKEY

Searching for the perfect travel companion? Look no further than this Turkish towel made of 100% Turkish premium cotton! This towel is lightweight and portable, so you can take it with you wherever you go. It's also sand resistant and super absorbent, making it ideal for beach trips. Plus, it dries super fast so you don't have to worry about packing a wet towel in your bag. To care for your towel, machine wash on cold.

Kalkedon Towels

Kalkedon Towels launched their business to honor the Turkish culture. Turkish cotton towels are unique, traditional pieces. Sharing this part of the ancient Aegean culture is the main reason Kalkedon Towels began. Their towels come from a little town in the Western part of Turkey. Kakedon Towels believes that the artisans they work with are valuable and that people should care about each other.

Their towels are weaved with Turkish cotton ring-spun yarns on traditional jacquard looms. The towels are dyed with organic and traditional dyeing techniques.

TANGERINE LIP BALM

MADE BY ZAMBEEZI IN ZAMBIA

This tart, tangy balm is made of organically grown, fair trade ingredients. It’s soft and soothing and helps prevent dry, cracked lips. The organic, fair trade beeswax base provides a protective barrier, ensuring your skin retains necessary moisture.

Zambeezi

Zambeezi is a fair trade, organic body care company that exists to enable communities to thrive by identifying and developing the unrealized human potential to free people to pursue their vision of a better world. Partnering with young entrepreneurs, beekeepers, and farmers in Zambia, Africa, this group crafts ethically sourced, organic, fair-trade body care products that regenerate communities and ecosystems, connecting customers in North America to the farmers and beekeepers of Zambia.

The exact impact of this order for Fair Trade Friday is somewhat difficult to calculate because the product is based on the farming and beekeeping practices of artisans in Zambia. Saying that it took months and months of preparation by hundreds of beekeepers nurturing the beehives and harvesting the ingredients would be an understatement. The ingredients come from 996 beekeeper families and eight wax processors. Several dozen women worked on this order. Seven kilograms of beeswax went into this order specifically. That is the average production of five beekeeper families for the entire year! The processing would have taken several additional hours, and the oils used from Zambia were close to nine kilograms. That represents the work of three women for a year of growing, harvesting, and processing sunflower, lemongrass, and rosemary crops!

After being inspired by the conscious and ethical way to make ends meet, Vincent started beekeeping in the year 2000 with 120 hives. He was the first beekeeper in his family, finding this new opportunity promising. Through beekeeping, Vincent has been able to pay the fees for his children’s education, take part in community revitalization, and see the effects of the ethical acquisition of income that doesn't harm the environment, himself, or the people around him.

ALL-IN-ONE RAZOR

MADE BY ALLEYOOP IN THE USA

This portable razor is designed for touch-ups and missed spots on-the-go. The 3-in-1 razor packs a refillable water spray bottle, a shea butter moisturizing bar, and two triple-blade razor cartridges. Each blade includes a lubricating preshave strip formulated with chamomile and olive oil for a smooth, soft finish.

Stash the razor in your car or beach bag. It's TSAapproved, so you can get smooth on the go. The allnatural moisturizing bar won't melt in the heat, so it’s safe to take with you for travel to warm destinations.

Gentle enough for all skin types, including those with sensitive skin. Simply wet your skin, apply the moisturizing bar to lather, and shave.

Sustainability shows up in a lot of ways for Alleyoop as a brand. Some are common, some not so common. Of course emphasis is placed on things like recyclable materials and sustainable sourcing, but they also do things like combining four products into one, resulting in less packaging and material usage than four sold separately. Plus, they pack their orders with biodegradable packing peanuts that dissolve in water.

Most recently, they made it their mission to become plastic-neutral. In partnership with Cleanhub, for every order you place with Alleyoop, they’re removing an equivalent amount of plastic waste that’s bound for the ocean. In turn, there’s less pollution in our environment and more sustainable job opportunities created around the globe. The definition of a win-win.

bloom

Club Member Exclusive

In 2023, each month we will bring our club members exclusive content. In your Fair Trade Friday booklet, you’ll see a QR code linking you to fun digital extras that you can download. Just use your phone’s camera to scan the codes.

Follow the link to find your collection of bonus content. In addition to the floral art to print or use for your phone's lock screen, you'll also find useful tips on packing for your next beach trip!

fair trade subscription FAIR TRADE FRIDAY

WHAT IS FAIR TRADE?

Fairly-traded products are made by artisans who work in safe conditions, are paid a fair wage, and work fair hours. No child gave up his education to produce your new favorite item; no mom was laboring in a sweatshop for 80 hours a week. We ensure that all of our Fair Trade Friday club items are fairly traded.

HOW IS FTF DIFFERENT THAN OTHER SUBSCRIPTION CLUBS?

We are not a for–profit company, or even a profit-for-good company — Fair Trade Friday is operated by Mercy House Global, a nonprofit. All profits from FTF directly support our maternal rescue center, Rehema House, in Kenya. You can learn more at mercyhouseglobal.org.

FTF PARTNERS WITH FAITH-BASED ARTISAN GROUPS ACROSS THE GLOBE. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

While we are a faith-based ministry and partner with other faith-based ministries, religion is not forced upon artisans, nor is it a requirement for employment. Many women & their families have different religions than us, and that is okay. Our belief in Christ calls us to love, serve, and help others, regardless of their personal belief systems.

WE HAVE AN APP!

Use the code WELCOME20 for 20% off your first in-app purchase!

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