Impact
GOEX is B Corp Certified
What does it really mean to be B Corp Certified? As a B Corp, we’re part of a global community of businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental impact. B Corps represent individual businesses that believe we’re all in this quest to create a better world together – that change requires many of us working together. We are proud to be part of this community to work with other social enterprises and our larger community to continue to push for the use of commerce to create positive change for people and planet! B Corp Declaration of Interdependence We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good. This economy is comprised of a new type of corporation – The B Corporation – which is purpose-driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders. As B Corporations and leaders of this emerging economy, we believe that we must be the change we seek in the world and all business ought to be conducted as if people and place matter. Through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all. To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations. B Corps join together in this manifesto: Together, we transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. Together, we lead economic systems change that will realize our vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Together, we create standards, policies, tools, and programs that shift the behavior, culture, and structure of capitalism. Together, we’re changing the rules of the game so that all businesses have to balance profit and purpose. Together, we’re building a movement of people using business as a force for good. Together, we won’t stop until all business is a force for good. Our social enterprise and transparent supply chain are also verified by the Fair Trade Federation and the Social Enterprise World Forum and certified by B Lab. We want our customers to feel completely confident in our products and our company – in our dedication to care for people and for responsible sourcing. Ready to open a Wholesale Account? Apply Today
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A New Year in Haiti
Happy January GOEX Family! It’s been awhile since we sent out a Haiti update but today we want to celebrate with you because the team is back at work! At the end of each year we close the factory for about three weeks as required by Haiti law. Employees are paid for vacation time and we send them off with a holiday gift bag of special food items to celebrate the season with their families. This year that time off has been extended because we were not able to move a container of fabric from port due to security concerns. However, we are excited to share with you that this past Saturday morning the container was delivered safely to the factory! After customs inspection employees unloaded it yesterday and today we had navy triblend on the cutting table! To most apparel companies, this isn’t a big deal – fabric and garments come and go almost every day. But as security in Haiti has eroded over the past months, it’s become increasingly difficult and risky to move containers back and forth between the factory and the port. It’s also difficult to get messengers to move paperwork around Port au Prince as needed for clearance. Logistics isn’t generally the most fun part of doing business but it’s extremely difficult for those of us who work in Haiti. Nevertheless, because of our love for and dedication to, the amazing men and women who sew your garments, we keep at it! We have shipped garments and fabric via smaller air shipments for several months but that was not a sustainable, cost-effective solution. That makes us even more grateful that we were able to move the fabric and get the team back to work. All of this was happening while I was in Atlanta at a trade show with the Haiti Artisan Collective The support from this amazing group of brands is sweet and life-giving. I am so thankful for all of the men and women giving of their time and talents to bring Haitian-made products to market. And I am equally thankful for the amazing and generous customers who support us. Cheers to 2024 and to creating and sustaining even more jobs in Haiti! With love and gratitude,Jessica
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Warehouse Sale!
Save the date for our upcoming Warehouse Sale where you'll have the opportunity to shop incredible deals at our shop in Downtown Kansas City!We're located in Downtown Kansas City, near Union Station and the National World War I Museum.
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Creatively Counteracting Human Trafficking Through Job Creation
Creatively Counteracting Human Trafficking Through Job Creation About 12 years ago, I was introduced to the issue of global sex trafficking. We started working stateside to support women who have escaped sex trafficking and were working to rebuild their lives and create a better future for their children. We sold the beautiful paper bead jewelry they were creating and sent the funds back to help ensure that this happened. It made total sense to me all those years ago that survivors had to have a way to survive, and job creation had to be a part of the solution to counteract human trafficking. In 2021, Freedom Business Alliance released a startling statistic: 80% of those rescued from human trafficking are re-trafficked without dignified opportunities! WHOAH! We knew all along that job creation was powerful, but once the research showed us just how powerful it was, it reenergized us to keep going! Over the years, I have realized that, at best, job creation is also a significant way we can prevent human trafficking from entering someone's story! To date, we have partnered with over 156 organizations to ensure those rescued from or vulnerable to human trafficking have dignified opportunities. It has been such a glorious work to link arms with so many. The Issue Human Trafficking is a multi-billion dollar business that operates to flip a profit by trading and exploiting people. In reality, traffickers are scanning others for a vulnerability to exploit. New Creation has used the approach of monitoring the vulnerabilities that we can remove. When we don’t address the root cause of issues, we are allowing the doors to remain open and people to continue to be harmed. The work we do in our shop and through our subscription box, Do Good Mail, is anti-trafficking work in a beautiful and creative way. We are taking two powerful tools, fair wage opportunities and poverty alleviation, to push back on the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world. The Poverty Cycle Did you know that most often, poverty is intergenerational? “Roughly one-third of children who grow up poor in the United States will also experience poverty as adults.” (Source: Brookings) The issues that often are linked to poverty include limited access to education, difficulty navigating and connecting to resources, housing limitations, addiction, and other criminal activity, as well as child abuse and neglect. Our work, which started globally, quickly shifted to adding a local focus when I came face to face with human trafficking in my zip code. My hometown, with less than 4,000 people and three stop lights, seemed like an improbable place for it to exist. But the truth is human trafficking exists in towns and cities, big and small. This local case opened my eyes to what poverty, desperation, and addiction can lead to. The survivor’s trafficker wasn’t a stranger or a boyfriend; it was her very own mother. I didn’t know it then, but statistically, 50% of children trafficked in our country are trafficked by a family member. And in most of the familial cases I have seen, poverty and addiction were both glaring factors that led to trafficking entering their stories. Whether you are looking at domestic or global trafficking, poverty is often the common factor that sets it into motion. In 2017, we began working in Moldova, the tiniest and poorest nation in Europe. I had heard stats like one in every ten people fell victim to trafficking, and the biggest export out of the country was girls. I was shocked but also desperate to find a way to serve there. We were beyond fortunate to find a Moldovan-led organization that was doing critical work to remove vulnerabilities within their country. In one of our first meetings, they discussed the reality that the lack of opportunities for women was one of the common reasons trafficking was an epidemic there! Limited options and desperation can many times push people into accepting risky job offers that lead to human trafficking. They told us of girls being offered jobs as nannies, working in restaurants, and more. Each opportunity, in reality, resulted in them being sold for sex in countries around the world. Sadly, when limited choices are available, these job proposals often feel like their only option. By providing fair wage jobs to the women of Moldova we are helping alleviate the root vulnerability: the lack of opportunity, and ensuring they also have access to job training opportunities, life skills, and health care. Not only is that a life-changing opportunity for the survivor but also her children and the greater community. What we have seen is that communities are lifted when there are fair-paying, dignified opportunities available. When economic opportunities are present, it creates a more resilient environment where members become less likely to fall victim to human trafficking. When we invest in social enterprises that are integrated with skill-building initiatives, we are helping to support economic stability, which in turn reduces the risk of trafficking. Job Creation is Empowerment In my years of experience, I have been saddened to see how those in the anti-trafficking movement can be seen in a hero role. The truth is survivors of human trafficking are the actual heroes of their own story. When we can create space and opportunity for them to thrive with dignified opportunities, we ensure they are empowered and have agency. They use their creativity, skills, and more to create their future. The survivors and artisans we have served alongside are some of the most creative, resilient, and powerful people on the planet. Living wage job creation is a necessary piece to seeing survivors lead self-sustaining lives that they can be proud to have created. These job opportunities provide financial stability and security, allowing them to support themselves and, many times, their children. There is fundamental dignity and self-worth established when artisans are paid fairly for the skills they have and the contributions they make. They are more likely to feel seen, valued, and respected for the work they do, which can boost their overall self-confidence and motivation for the future. Our hope is it will also engage upward mobility with increased job skills that can create career advancements, future education, and personal development. Every Product Tells a Story In conclusion, I feel like I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the way that consumerism can either be the solution to or the fuel of the issue of human trafficking. When we began over a decade ago, I had minimal knowledge about fair trade and ethical manufacturing. Like most people, I purchased items with very little thought of who was behind the creation of the product and how that, in turn, affected the person involved. I now know that many of the items we consume are a significant contributor to human trafficking. Fair Trade promotes ethical practices, fair compensation, and safe working conditions. In contrast, the creation of many products involves exploitation, coercion, and forced labor, which is, by law, human trafficking. Fair trade and living wage job creation are such vital tools to educate others on how to consume consciously. We have always viewed our shop as a way to start conversations and bring others close to an issue that can feel paralyzing. By using ethical practices in creating items and marketing them, we are creating opportunities for everyday citizens to use their purchasing power for GOOD + ultimately join our mission to creatively counteract human trafficking! BIO Sabrina Dorman-Andrew Co-Founder + Executive Director Sabrina's passion for combating human trafficking quickly developed after volunteering stateside with an Ugandan-based nonprofit, + since then it has been her mission to learn about this issue on a local + global scale. In 2013, she + her husband founded New Creation VA, a nonprofit that creatively counteracts human trafficking with a local heart + global approach. To date, that organization has generated almost $5 million to combat trafficking. They have worked with over 10,000 students to raise awareness, as well as, training hundreds of community members on what trafficking is + how to recognize the signs. In 2022, Sabrina was named “Freedom Ambassador of the Year,” for her commitment to the mission of preventing human trafficking and championing the Prevention Project curriculum throughout Virginia. Armed with the belief that prevention education + job creation are powerful solutions to the problem, she has dedicated her life to developing concepts that will make an impact.
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Fashion Revolution Week 2023
10 years ago the Rana Plaza factory collapsed in Bangladesh, killing at least 1132 people and injuring over 2000 others. This served as a wakeup call to the working conditions of those who make our clothes and an international movement, Fashion Revolution Week, was born out of this tragedy. People all over the world ask questions like, "Who made my clothes?", "Who Made My Jewelry?", "Who Made My Shoes?", etc. At GOEX we are committed to transparency and fair wages.As Fashion Revolution Week approaches April 22-29 you’ll see many ethical, transparent brands posting and sharing pictures of the amazing craftsmen and women who produce your garments, shoes and accessories. Typically we would be right there with them – we believe in the power of this movement and link arms with others who are pushing for fair wages and ethical practices in apparel manufacturing. However, above all this movement is about caring for makers and so this year you won’t see any of those photos. Realistically, pictures of our makers will be absent from your inboxes and feeds for the foreseeable future. Why? Back in September our General Manager in Haiti shared about the dangers there due to political instability and gang activity. Unfortunately, while the port is open and goods are flowing for the most part, the danger has not decreased. In fact it’s continued to escalate. If our employees are associated with us as an American company, it could potentially make them targets and we absolutely do not want that! We are taking every precaution we can think of from the US to prioritize their safety. So why do we continue to produce in Haiti in this climate? It’s because the need for jobs is more real than ever as the unemployment rate rises and the currency continues to devalue. As you may recall from the letter we shared in September, coming to work “is a risk that our employees are willing to take at any cost, because "Le travail c'est la liberté." This is a saying in French that means, ‘Work is Freedom.’” As other employers pulled out of Haiti we doubled down on our trust of the team to make good decisions and in our desire to care for our team and their families through the dignity of work. We added a social worker to our team to invest in their emotional health and we continue to provide lunch each day. And so, when you next put on a GOEX tee, we hope you’ll think of the hands that touched it and take a minute to pray for their safety and for Haiti. The need has never been greater than it is today. As always, thank you to the entire GOEX family for your support!
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Four Back To School Looks Ensure The Rights of Children
Are you ready for the fresh smell of new crayons, making new friends on the bus, and fun at recess? At GOEX, we are fully stocked for a new school year. Here’s a few of our favorite “Feel Good. Do Good.” back to school looks that will make your child smile AND create a huge impact for a bright new year. Made For Play Our best selling eco-triblend tee isn’t just for grown ups! Let the world hear your roar in Amber styled with an animal print headband and thrifted denim jacket. No Space For Waste Science rules. Designed for STEAM trailblazers our No Space For Waste tee has limitless possibilities. Experiment with colors and layers all year long as this tee boldly goes where no tee has gone before. Keep It Simple Make a simple statement this year in our Feel Good. Do Good. crop tee. Our cropped tees are cut a little longer and look great on everyone. Your teen can cultivate a world of good with a simple, Fair Trade tee. Classic Swagger There’s a reason why the plain white tee paired with a class denim never goes out of style. It’s a classic look that has rocked the hallways for nearly a century. Whether you opt for eco-triblend or cotton, this tee is perfect for the fashion forward kid. New Year. New Purpose. When you send your child to school in Fair Trade, you are contributing to the empowerment of families. You’re cultivating a world where children have the right to security, education, and play. As members of the Fair Trade Federation, we are dedicated to the elimination of child labor. As your child gets dressed for a bright new school year, know that somewhere in the world another is doing the same because of your purchase. Shopping Fair Trade strengthens families, ensures the safety of children, and sets the groundwork for a better tomorrow. Follow The Story We strive to bring you the latest in Fair Trade style and responsible fashion trends. If you like what we stand for, we want to share more! Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our newsletters and following us on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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Four Reasons To Have Custom Family Tees For Your Vacation Or Reunion
Family time is meant to be memorable. Mark the occasion with quality, custom tees. They're great for photo ops and you can relive the memories again and again. Not to mention your tees make a HUGE impact on people and the planet! 1.) Unique Customizable Memories Your family can have a personalized t-shirt that captures your family's aesthetic. Are you the sporty type? Is your family a group of artists or do-gooders? Say it proudly with a distinct design that becomes your family seal. Even if your family members each have a different favorite color we can create a design that can be screen-printed on a variety of colors, styles, or fabrics. 2.) Never Lose A Family Member In A Crowd Planning on being in a crowded, public venue? Don’t panic! Your custom tee will make it easy for your pack to stand out in the crowd. This can be incredibly helpful for young adventurers or that family member that marches to the beat of their own drum. 3.) Comfortable AND Fun There are no restrictions on quality, family moments. Our super-soft tees are a fantastic addition to your wardrobe! Relive your memories with fabrics that last. Your custom family t-shirt will create conversation and take you on a fun trip down memory lane. 4.) Families Supporting Families Your family has the ability to change lives! With high quality, Fair Trade manufacturing you can be sure that what you wear makes a social impact. When you go with GOEX, you’re helping to sustain fair wage jobs that empower families in their communities AND help to heal the planet. Each GOEX garment is made with sustainable fabrics or recycled components helping to reduce the carbon footprint. Need custom tees for YOUR family reunion or vacation? Mix and match colors, styles, and fabrics to bring out your family's unique style. Check the reviews and email us today!
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Adventure Ready Fair Trade Looks
It’s that time of year to go explore! Ethically made with people and planet in mind, GOEX is here to provide you road trip worthy comfort with impact. Our fabrics are sourced right here in the U.S. and travels only 1,200 miles to Haiti to be sewn into shirts by skilled artisans who earn a fair wage. It’s a quality that’s better for our planet, better for the maker, and better for you. Pack a bag and grab your keys. It’s time to hit the road with these Fair Trade adventure ready looks. Travel Light When you're snug in the car, comfort is key. No tee will make you feel better than this super soft, eco-friendly triblend hoodie. Featuring the same fit as our best-selling long sleeve triblend tee but with the addition of a hood, drawcords and decorative top-stitching. Our Unisex Eco-Triblend Long Sleeve Hooded Tee breathes like a dream so no matter the weather you’re calm, cool, and collected. Plus, it looks terrific with a pair of thrifted or repurposed denim shorts. Designed For Detours This look is perfect for pit stops and detours. Bring warm hues and style with a Unisex Eco-triblend Tee in our gorgeous fashion colors. Envoke comfort and confidence by pairing your tee with out GOEX Joggers. Our Joggers features flatlay pockets and adjustable drawstring. Complete this plush, adventurous look with a navy Heathered Rib Beanie. Ultra-stylish and super eco-friendly, our beanies really tie a Fair Trade look together. The Scenic Route Confidently explore your world in these breathable, super-soft tanks. Featuring a flattering neckline you can achieve a sporty, fitted look. Our exceptional rib tanks are not only fashionable, they are our MOST eco-friendly garments. Dive in to rich colors like our wine Premium Cotton Rib Racerback Ladies Tank or make a statement with our Let’s Go Outside Unisex Tank. Match with our Unisex Eco Fleece Full Zip Hood to keep comfortable through campfire nights. “I Know A Spot” Dress for the unexpected with sustainable looks built for performance and finesse. Our Ladies Weekender Hoodie ensures your comfort in mind, body, and spirit. The dreamy texture is designed to look great as outerwear in transitional temperatures. Need a tee that plays just as hard as you do? Check out our Performance Polyester. Our only sport fabric, this 100% polyester is a light and is water wicking by nature keeping you cool and comfy. Available as a polo, long sleeve tee, or ¼ zip. Ready to add some adventure you your wardrobe? Shop our Memorial Day Weekend Sale May 27th - May 31st and save big. All short sleeve tees and tanks are buy one, get one 50% off. That's right! Save big on tanks (ladies, unisex, and dog tanks) and short sleeve tees including our popular graphic tees! No code necessary. Discounts will automatically be applied at check out. Follow The Story We strive to bring you the latest in Fair Trade style and responsible fashion trends. If you like what we stand for, we want to share more! Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our newsletters and following us on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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Love Your Leftovers
One of our goals for 2021 is to Continue to Grow Sustainability Efforts. So far we’ve introduced buttons, labels, drawcords, twill tape and packaging made from recycled plastic. We have also introduced a line of garments created from remnant fabric diverting waste from landfills – our ladies rib tee, rib tank and rib cardigan are all created from scrap fabric. We added zippers to the assortment of components using recycled plastics. We will also continue to expand our assortment of garments made of eco-triblend fabric diverting more plastic from landfills. Plus, we are reusing boxes that originate in Haiti. This week, we are reflecting on leftovers but we’re not talking about turkey. Nope, we’re talking about overly loved tees from yesterday. According to Eco-Stylist, three out of every five fast fashion pieces end up in the trash. Your clothes that you have loved and cherished to the point of no return deserves better and so does the planet. Turn your leftovers into delicious fashion that you can cherish all over again. Try out fashionable DIY recipes: 1.) The Smocked Tee Add a splash of romance to your classic tees. (Download smocked tee recipe here) 2.) The Scrunchie Get heads turning with this super fun blast from the past. (Download scrunchie recipe here) 3.) The Receiving Blanket Give the new parents in your life warmth and security with this DIY Receiving Blanket (Download receiving blanket recipe here) No matter if you're just starting out or a DIY Wizard, you can join us in our sustainability efforts. If you love our super soft, eco-friendly fabrics and want to use them for your project, one yard cuts are available for sale at our store at 3161 Wyandotte St, Kansas City, MO. Black Friday Sale Want something to go with that new scrunchie you just made? We’ve got deals for Black Friday you’re gonna love! Get free shipping on orders over $25, a free gift tote when you spend $50 or more, AND get 10% off all Holiday Graphic tees. Use code CHEER out check out and stuff your stocking with fun tees packed full of impact! Follow the story We strive to be bold with our words and represent the ideals we believe. If you like what we stand for, we want to share more! Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our newsletters and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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