A letter to our email subscribers that I want to make public for all.
Those of you who know me in "real life" know that I wanted to start this shop to make this world a better place. That I wanted to help tired parents like myself everywhere to support companies that were doing good things. Companies that were paying people fair wages, using safe materials for children, and bringing joy and ease into the lives of others. No company is perfect, just like none of us is perfect, but my goal is to work with companies that stand up for human rights, that care about their employees, the environment, and of course, the safety and well-being of you, the consumers, and your children.
I want to I reiterate to you now where I stand as a company, so that you know I care deeply about the issues that harm our world. One reason (of many) that I am vegan is to reduce human suffering. And along with that, I also avoid most chocolate (to avoid child labor in other countries), and other crops and goods that rely on human rights violations to sustain themselves.
It would thus be inconsistent for me to not also care deeply about the lives of black and brown families here, in my own country. I want you to know that I value the lives of all people. But I haven't been paying as much attention to the domestic issues within the US, where I live and where our company is based, as I should have. Sometimes we go so far down our path that we don't stop to look at bigger issues in our way. Of course, the privilege I have has made that a possibility for me to not see these major issues as a priority in my life. Though I have faced many challenges, the color of my skin has not been one.
I want to do better for my community and for the Black people of this country, who have a beautiful and rich culture and are deserving of space and life and justice. I have cried over the losses that are becoming public now, and I have taken personal action by signing petitions and choosing to speak in places where before I chose--and now see I had the privilege to choose--to remain silent. I will be adding additional education for myself and for my family, supporting Black educators along the way, as we work to raise our son as an anti-racist. I am deeply sorry to all in this community who have suffered from racism in big and small ways, and I am working to change this. I am sorry for my personal complicity and will do better.
I am also making changes in our shop to support Black lives in our community. Our first change is the addition of the donation option. We have fairly quietly made donations to groups before, particularly to the local babywearing nonprofit here in PA. I wanted to take some time, though, and invite you to join us in adding a donation for each month's featured nonprofit. When you place an order with us, you will see an option at checkout to make a donation to our current nonproft. We will begin this program by supporting nationalbailout.org 's #FreeBlackMamas project. Mothers in cages away from their children, unable to social distance and protect themselves from an illness that disproportionately affects Black people, is devastating to me, and I encourage you to join us in supporting them as they support those who would otherwise be home with their families, if they could afford it.
In addition, I am actively seeking out ways to add representation in the vendors we work with and the products we offer. Should any of you know an excellent company that may fit well with our ethos, I encourage you to reach out.
Thank you for being here with us. If you have something to add that you think I could be doing better, I am happy to hear it. I am not afraid to admit my mistakes and to change.
In the coming days, I will be compiling resources on our blog as well. If you have any to share, particularly regarding parenting and families and raising children, I would love to include them.
Wishing you every blessing. We have so many wonderful things to share. Let's move forward together <3.
All the best,
Alexandra, Founder