A great source for eco Friendly news of all kinds is Tree Hugger.com. I was so excited when I found their article listing some of my favorite eco/sustainable fashion designers from the beautiful island of New Zealand. The list includes eco favs like StarFish, Icebreaker, and Miranda Brown as well as others that I’m learning about.

Miranda Brown

For more www.treehugger.com

Like many of you I have felt deep empathy for those who are suffering as the result of the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti and subsequent aftershocks.  It pains me to see the images of thousands of innocent victims suffering and listening to reports from NPR during my daily drives. As I contemplate unimaginable suffering for the survivors, I am forced to put my own life in perspective and recall “there but for the grace of God…” This calamity as well as others that have occurred in recent years has moved me to support charities that provide rescue, relief and support in emergency situations. I immediately sought out Soles4Souls, an organization I am very familiar with, as Soles4Souls is not new to charitable shoe giving.  Soles4Souls has established The Haiti Project and has committed over 1 MILLION pairs of shoes to aid in the recovery and rebuilding process for Haiti. Locations around the US will be collection sites from January 20th – February 13th. By entering your zip code on the Soles4Souls site you will be able to find shoe collection locations near you.

There are currently over 40 US charitable organizations participating in Haiti relief in addition to thousands of agencies and countries around the world that have been there over the years and are arriving to provide aid. As you look to help, the following is a list of some organizations for you to consider for humanitarian assistance.

American Red Cross – The American Red Cross helps prepare communities for emergencies and keep people safe.
American Institute of Philanthropy – The American Institute of Philanthropy is a nonprofit charity watchdog organization that helps donors make informed giving decisions.
CARE – CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty.
Doctors Without Borders – Doctors and nurses volunteer to provide urgent medical care in countries to victims of war and disaster regardless of race, religion, or politics.
Eco Lips – Cause Balms supporting World Wide Village
Madre – MADRE is an international women’s human rights organization that works in partnership with community-based women’s organizations worldwide to address issues of health and reproductive rights, economic development, education and other human rights.
PETA – PETA is offering funding for any animal emergency services in Haiti, including for euthanasia to put badly injured animals out of their misery.
UNICEF – UNICEF works for children’s rights, their survival, development and protection.

There are many ways to help others and it doesn’t require a lot of money…it only requires a giving spirit.
~Ar