10 Easy Ways to Give Back to Your Community

Here at Blue Sky we are all about saving the planet. When we started out so long ago, we felt it was our responsibility to be conscious of the way our operation is run in every step of the process. We have always provided a peaceful work environment and fair wages for our employees; we are so proud to be a Fair Trade company! Our clothing is made by happy hands and filled with good energy, how groovy is that?
We also donate to organizations that we feel are really making a difference. There is nothing that gives us more of a sense of fulfillment than donating our time or money to help out those less fortunate. We know it's hard to find that extra time or money sometimes, so we have created a list of 10 easy ways to give back on a local level. Remember that it only takes 1 person to make a difference, and that person can be you!

1. Donate your groovy old clothes to Goodwill instead of throwing them out. Not only are you providing someone with affordable clothes that allow them to express themselves, but Goodwill uses the profits from their stores to help out your community directly.
2. Pick up trash off the ground and dispose of it properly. If you don't pick it up, a bird might!
3. Support your local farmers and buy your organic produce from the farmer's market. Not only will the food be more sustainable, fresh and delicious than imported produce, but you get to talk to the people growing the food that is providing your body with nourishment. What a beautiful thing!

4. After you go out to dinner downtown, give your leftovers to the homeless. Provide someone in your community with a healthy meal who may not have the money to buy it themselves.
5. Adopt a pet from the Humane Society in lieu of going to a breeder. There are so many homeless pets who need a loving owner like you to take care of them. Don't support the inbreeding of man's best friend!
6.  Pick up cigarette butts off the ground and dispose of them properly. We see cigarette butts everywhere, and we get so upset thinking about a precious little critter swallowing a filter that can swell up in their stomach and cause major issues. If you're worried about the cleanliness of picking them up, then carry around some hand sanitizer to keep you germ free.
7. Shop at locally owned businesses. When you shop at a mom and pop boutique you are providing a little girl with ballet lessons, when you shop at a huge corporation you are providing a CEO with a third vacation home. By being conscious of who you are giving your money to, you can make a huge difference!
8. Plant some flowers! You'll release oxygen into the environment and have the pleasure of watching a product of your creation blossom; gardening is proven to cure depression! Eckhart Tolle claims that birds, crystals and flowers are the 3 most fantastic things found on Earth.

9. Walk to local shops instead of driving. You'll get exercise, and be emitting less pollutants into the air; it's a win-win situation!
10. Teach a valuable skill of yours to those who don't have access to it. We like to volunteer at the YMCA's 'Loop It Up' program that teaches less fortunate children how to make art. Watching how proud the kids are of the art they produced is magical!

We encourage you to give back to your human family and spread your love and kind soul unto those who need it.