An Impactful Gift Guide For The Holidays
November 30th, 2020
The holiday season is coming at a particularly challenging time for many small businesses and vulnerable communities as they battle the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies at the Social Ventures Zone have been hard at work to continue to help the communities they serve and produce beautiful, sustainable, and impactful products.
Gift with purpose this holiday season and shop from our startups for gifts that give back. We put together this gift guide with gift ideas from SVZ ventures to help you shop wisely and support small businesses this holiday season.
Fashion & Accessories
Organic Cotton Fashion Basics
The Good Tee is a certified fairtrade organic cotton fashion basics brand. With transparent supply chains and ethically made products, their basics are a must-gift in 2020. Choose from their collection of sustainable, stylish and soft basics and use the code "SVZLOVE" for 30% off your order!
Reusable Face Masks
These stylish face masks are ideal for all-day wear and are made with quality craftsmanship by skilled artisans in Toronto. Every piece of lace overlay is cut and sewn by hand in a precise process that makes each mask unique. Mask lining is made with high-quality 100% premium cotton base and delivers on style and function.
Shoes & backpacks from up-cycled materials
Brave Soles believes in the power of sustainable fashion to build a better future for all of us. They create fashion with upcycled materials and ethical, small scale production. Their handcrafted shoes have up-cycled tire soles and all accessories are crafted from reclaimed leather from aircraft seats and other sources.
Handmade wallets and accessories by displaced Syrian women
Gift these handmade embroidered wallets by talented Syrian women and support Tight Knit Syria's mission to provide Syrian women at refugee camps in Lebanon with dignified work and a sustainable income. Tight Knit Syria works with displaced Syrian women and connects their beautifully handmade products to local and international markets.
Gender non-conforming fashion must-haves
L'uomo Strano creates trendy fashion pieces that are the perfect fit for the femme-identified gender non-conformist. Founder Mic. Carter is a Toronto-based creative who is invested in understanding how clothing can be used to embolden those on the slippages of cis-gender heteronormativity and femme-phobia.
Jewelry
Bold jewelry pieces from repurposed materials
Chic Made Consciously makes handcrafted fashion accessories and jewelery from repurposed materials. CMC champions transparency and a commitment to their artisans. Their unique and bold designs and creative use of repurposing materials allows them to create beautiful pieces that are sustainable and ethically made.
Luxurious jewelry with real gemstones by artisans in Pakistan
Daria Day works with artisans living in remote mountain communities of the K2 Mountain in Northern Pakistan to handcraft elegant jewelry pieces with ethically sourced gemstones. Daria Day strives to provide its artisans with a sustainable livelihood and path to prosperity. Use the code "SVZ20" to get 20% off sitewide.
Dainty jewelry that empowers at-risk youth
Kind Karma Co. provides a unique employment opportunity for at-risk and transitioning homeless youth by employing them to handcraft quality jewelry pieces guaranteed to make a great gift for all ages. All youth at Kind Karma Co. are paid an hourly wage and the company reinvests in the youths' individual goals.
Food & Treats
High-end, pasture raised meat & sustainable fish products from local Ontario farmers
There is no better time than now to support your local Ontario farmers. Gift a customizable NIKU Farms meat box with products like 100% grass fed and finished beef, pasture raised chicken, pork, lamb and wild caught fish. You can pause, skip or cancel anytime. For a limited time, NIKU Farms is offering $60 OFF your first 2 deliveries. Enter the code "RYERSON" at checkout to claim the offer.
Delicious breads and snacks that reduce climate change
For the bread and snacks lovers, why not gift a selection of baked goods from The Spent Goods Company? They partner with local breweries to convert their spent grains into baked products like Beer Bread, Beer Crisps, Beer Pretzels, and more. Support their mission to reduce food waste and alleviate climate change by ordering online or picking up the goods across various locations in Toronto.
Thanks for shopping responsibly this holiday season and supporting local businesses!