Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

You may not know this, but the gift industry is very involved with charitable causes.  HIV/Aids and Breast Cancer are 2 important causes which are extremely important to retailers, manufacturers, sales reps and other vendors.
Every trip to the Dallas Market is highlighted with signage about supporting a cure for HIV/Aids  and lots of manufacturers donate funds from their sales to support research on Breast Cancer.
Yesterday late afternoon we looked south on Harvard and saw the pink police car parked in the Kiddlestix parking lot, lights flashing and people coming to talk to the officers, cars driving by honking their support.
It made me think about one of my most favorite gift lines which we have carried for years, since we met Meredith Baxter (actress and Breast Cancer fundraising supporter) at the Dallas Market
Meredith Baxter was promoting the sale of CAREN Products, a wonderful, luxurious line of lotions, scientifically developed to give your hands, your body and your feet a source for dealing with dry skin.  Caren Products have light scents which don't interfer with perfumes or colognes, while still having the effect of reducing dry skin.
I personally love this lotion and use it every day.  In fact I carry around the little sample jar which we have given out to our customers and refill it religiously so that I am never without a soothing scoop of that hand cream.
But most important is that Caren has formed a partnership with Breast Cancer Alliance and has also been a supporter of Enable of Georgia, Inc. which supports adults with developmental disabilities to live meaningful and active lives.
In 2009 Caren Products made a $130,000 donation to flood victims in the Atlanta area as well as other groups, by donating thousands of bath and body products to those people challenged by the flooding in that area.
Now when I reach into my pocket for a little scoop of hand lotion, or doctor my feet at night before bedtime, I can also feel just a little bit better that I am using a product whose developers and owners put their money where their mouth is.