Impact
Signs of Hope and Steps Forward
Thank you. There are no better words to begin this update with than incredible gratitude to every single one of you. Whether you’ve ordered shirts, shopped with one of our partner retailers, donated to our team in Haiti or supported us in any other way over the past months, we have noticed, and are grateful for every act of kindness. Despite all of the challenges we’re facing in Haiti and beyond, your support for our business and what it means to people throughout the supply chain is life giving for all involved! As we moved into 2nd quarter, we’ve been completely blown away by a flood of both business and messages expressing care for our team! And in the midst of all of it, we were dealt another surprise upheaval a couple of weeks ago when we were notified that CCW, our fabric supplier in South Carolina for the past decade, is closing permanently this summer. Despite all of the work to bring manufacturing back to the US, large clients continue to choose their bottom lines and move business across oceans. In this case, loss of contracts from a couple of large clients made the business unsustainable. We are heartbroken and yet we remain committed to supporting US jobs. For those who don’t know, fabric manufacturing requires three steps which, especially in the US, are all performed by different companies. First, raw materials are spun into yarn. Then the yarns are knit into raw fabrics (greige goods) on large circular knitting machines. Last, the fabric is dyed and finished at a dye house. CCW is a dye house – they sourced yarn and knitting services on our behalf and then finished the fabrics. When this announcement came, we quickly jumped on calls with a couple of companies who have been knitting our fabrics and were familiar with our brand and our need for the same high-quality, sustainable fabrics. Then Meghann (our Product Manager) and I jumped on a plane to go visit. I’m writing this on the way home from that trip. I’m excited to share that we’ll be partnering with Clover Knits to continue creating our unique, eco-friendly fabrics! Clover Knits is a boutique knitting operation located in the small town of Clover, SC – about 45 minutes from Charlotte. They are family owned and operated, committed to their town and to their employees and take great pride in their work. And they power 60% of their operation with solar power – how cool is that?! They will source yarns, knit our fabrics (many of which they’ve been knitting for years) and coordinate dying and finishing. We are incredibly grateful, yet again, for a strong partner who understands and values our business and wants to help us grow. More to come there – we will hopefully have some unique new fabrics to introduce you to over the next months. 😊 As we’ve shared before, we are sewing in the Dominican Republic for the summer. A container of fabric is set to ship there this week and we’ll have garments headed back our way beginning in late June or July! In the meantime we continue to produce some high-demand garments in the Carolinas. For those waiting – ivory eco-cotton and charcoal & navy triblend are back in stock! Thank you all for your patience as we’ve navigated stock. We started this with 265,000 garments in stock in Kansas City. As of now that’s down to 207,000. We know some of you have sacrificed on color or style and we just want to say thank you for your willingness! Those 207,000 garments are ready to hit the presses! In Haiti news, we are excited to share that the airport did reopen and we were able to move all finished garments from our factory to the airport to ship to the US – so several thousand, made in Haiti garments will hit our shelves in a week or so – yay! While we are not yet ready to give a reopening date, we are feeling confident that we can reopen this fall and are committed to paying our employees until we do. If you would like to support those payments you can do so here . We will continue to update you and will host another live update in June. We had a fantastic time in Baltimore a couple of weeks ago for the annual Museum Store Association Expo – thanks to all the buyers who came to visit! We’ll be in Salt Lake City in June for the Outdoor Retailer show and in Atlanta in July for the Gift Show – come see us if you’re at either! Thank you again and keep those orders flowing! With gratitude, Jessica
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Another Update: What's Next For GOEX
Hi GOEX Family – First of all, THANK YOU for showing up for our team in amazing ways! With the match we announced, you all have given more than $27,000 to care for our families in Haiti as they endure unimaginable challenges. 100% of your generous gifts are going directly to our employees and their families. We sent the first allotment of money this week and employees are receiving bank transfers as we speak – truly life-giving funds! If you would like to contribute to this ongoing need, click here! So, an update… As of today, really nothing has changed. There is a council in place that is tasked with appointing an interim Prime Minister who is tasked with getting the country to a free and fair presidential election. But much has to happen between now and then. An international force is still possible but nothing is imminent and the general population in Port au Prince continues to suffer under gang violence and economic disintegration. Right now, in Port au Prince, no ships are coming to port with desperately needed supplies and no planes are flying in or out. Today American Airlines announced another delay to reinstated flights – from 4/17 to 5/5. Time will tell. Because of ongoing uncertainty, we have made the extremely difficult decision to shift production to the Dominican Republic for the summer with the goal of reopening in Haiti this fall. This decision was weighty but in order to remove pressure from the team in Haiti and give our partner in the DR the ability to coordinate production, we had to commit to a plan. The factory we’re using in the DR shares our values of fair wages and employee empowerment. When you look a GOEX garment over the coming months, whether sewn in Haiti, the USA or the Dominican Republic, you can be assured of the same USA fabrics, the same commitment to quality and the same commitment to caring for people through the dignity of work. If you want to learn more, we are excited to announce the first of a series of virtual Q&As with GOEX leadership! Join us Wed, April 30th at 2:30 pm central to ask questions and learn more! Click here to register and receive a link. And save the date for May 29th for our second virtual Q&A as we answer your questions about sustainable fabric sourcing! As always, we can only do this work because of your support. Thank you for caring! Best, Jessica Ray
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Haiti: A Message From the General Manager of Our Factory
It breaks my heart to have to write another devastating update on where we stand today. The recent months have been the most challenging I've ever faced, to say the least. I am somewhat at a loss for words, because the Haiti we call home is suffering more than ever. Our team made every last effort they could to make it to the factory every day under extreme struggles they are all facing. We are so sad to have to temporarily pull the plug until we can safely receive everyone through our doors. The sad part is, they would do anything to work and would come at all costs. Unfortunately, we had to think of their safety and the vulnerability of our facility. This week I had to leave my country and my home behind unwillingly. I feel blessed that I had this opportunity because most do not, but it doesn't change the fact that I am completely devastated. I choose to still be hopeful, because I know we can heal. I refuse to believe we cannot come back from this. In the meantime, my family and I are safe. Our employees are safe. This is all we can ask for for now, and hope for better days. I am confident that my next update to you all we will be in a better place. One day at a time ❤️*********************** If you would like to contribute to our efforts to provide necessities to our team that is still in Haiti while our factory is shut down you can do that through our parent non-profit organization The Global Orphan Project https://goproject.org/goex-donate/
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Haiti Update
Hi GOEX Family – I’ve waited 21 days to post an update on what’s happening in Haiti. Thank you to all of you who have reached out with kind words and prayers for the team. I was hopeful that I could share something different from the following… I know we’ve communicated in the past that gangs control most of Port au Prince. I know we’ve also shared that our team continues to work despite the danger because that work is life-giving for them and their families. However, Monday we made the hard decision to close our factory for the next 30 days and then reevaluate the situation. Why? Why now versus other times over the past two years? As many of you may have seen in the news, on Thursday, February 29th, the gangs that hold control over different parts of Port au Prince united their forces with the stated goal of forcing the resignation of the unelected Prime Minister. They attacked police stations, the airport, the port and many other businesses and institutions. The Prime Minister has agreed to resign as soon as a transitional government is in place but attempts to install that government have stagnated. This leaves the country in an incredibly unstable place as gang members continue to loot businesses and destroy property. The streets are simply not safe. The port and airport remain closed leaving us with no way to get goods in or out of the country. The good news is that we have a lot of stock in Kansas City and our print shop is running at full speed to fulfill your orders. We appreciate your patience as we navigate a few out-of-stock items. We do have fabric in the works in South Carolina and we’re sewing some styles in the United States to cover current programs. (We will be in communication with affected customers regarding those items as we will not be able to offer our standard discounts on items sewn domestically.) So, how can you help? Keep those orders coming! As I said, we have over 200,000 garments in Kansas City ready to print for you. Those sales continue to support Haiti! Give to GOEX via The Global Orphan Project, our non-profit parent organization. 100% of your donations over the next two weeks will go to support our team in Haiti. Primarily, these funds will allow the team to support their families while they cannot work. We need $300 per day to support the cutting team, sewing operators and support staff. And we need to cover four weeks! All donations to this fund are tax deductible. If you’re a praying person, please keep praying for Haiti. The people there need what literally feels like a miracle. They need safety and security and a new government that wants to govern for the good of the people and not for personal gain or power. They need to go to work and school without fear. This quote came from a fellow business in Haiti and we couldn’t agree more: "Now is not the time to give up hope. To the contrary, now is the time to work harder than ever to create change." Thank you again to all of you for your ongoing support of our mission to change lives through the dignity of work. We cannot do any of this without you and we are SO grateful. --Jessica Ray Executive Director, GOEX
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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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Reflections on 2023 & Looking Forward to 2024
As I write this blog post each year, I reflect on the past twelve months and look forward to the next twelve. There are always good memories and hard ones, challenges we’ve overcome and opportunities we’ve grabbed hold of. I have to be honest, 2023 has had a lot of challenges and some of them we haven’t yet overcome. To be honest, I don’t think a company ever overcomes the challenges of working in Haiti. It just seems to come in waves. And if we think it’s hard, we can’t really imagine what it’s like for our team there. But we CAN empathize with them and keep providing empowering work that supports their families. Right now, we focus on what we can do and lean into a new year with hope for change in that country. Now to my 2023 resolutions - how did we do? Here are my thoughts - please send me yours! Grow - Unfortunately, like a lot of small businesses, this one was a challenge this year. While we gained many new clients and entered some new industry segments, we also saw a number of small businesses and local retailers close or pull way back on orders. While not the growth we started the year planning for, we are grateful for new customers and the opportunity to keep growing in 2024. Support and Promote Fair Trade - We had a ton of fun doing this work this year. I joined the board of directors of the Fair Trade Federation, we partnered with Fair Trade LA and Fair Trade Chicago. We provided drawing and auction prizes to many organizations and attended a lot more trade shows and events to promote fair trade products. One of our favorites was attending the Atlanta Gift Show as part of the Haiti Artisan Collective - SO fun to join together with other made in Haiti brands doing this same good work! We look forward to continued partnerships in 2024 and beyond. Listen - Did you see our customer feedback and spotlight form we launched this summer? If not, check it out! We want to hear from you and we want to brag about you and your support for our team. Thank you to everyone who has filled out a form so far - your pictures and comments are so fun and we have some product ideas based on your feedback! Stay Creative - Did you see the massive overhaul of our graphics collections published this fall along with trend reports? If not, check it out. Our creative team has been hard at work! Their hard work brought hundreds of new graphics and two new eco-cotton blend colors (Forest and Earth arriving in December!). And our partnerships with our suppliers has brought a VERY exciting announcement - read on! So what do we have in store for 2024? We’re excited and we hope you will be too! Grow! - We have to put this back on the list as our whole purpose is to create more jobs! But growth also looks like refining roles on our team in the states to best support the needs and growth of our clients. We are adding new roles, expanding workforce development programs and refining job descriptions so each team member is best equipped to provide excellent service throughout for every customer. And we hope to sell more and more shirts too! Set the Standard for Sustainability - Over the past 6 years, we’ve analyzed product annually to determine where we can continue to innovate and create more sustainable products. This brought you a ton of recycled components likes zippers, drawcords and even fabrics. Last year we were able to source labels from Starfish Project - they’re made from recycled polyester by a fair trade company - so cool. In 2024 however, we’re making our biggest step forward in a decade by introducing CiCLO® Polyester into all of our triblend and fleece styles! CiCLO®’s patented technology transforms synthetic fibers into biodegradable fibers that can be reabsorbed into the ecosystem. In short, a GOEX triblend tee will now biodegrade at the end of its life as if it’s 100% natural fibers. Why does this matter? If you haven’t seen reports of giant piles of discarded clothing in landfills around the world, you will soon. The increase in synthetic fibers has resulted in a problem even larger than plastic bottles in landfills. A plastic bottle can be recycled into another recycled bottle 7 times but when it becomes a garment, it’s at the end of it’s life and it does not biodegrade in a landfill. So, with this new technology, we are able to maintain the super soft triblend and snuggle fleeces that you love but with contents that you know are not polluting the environment forever when they reach the end of their lives (which we hope is many years away!) And, the fibers that are inevitably released into the air during manufacturing are also biodegradable in ocean water as well as in the ground. This is truly a huge step forward in textile manufacturing and we are incredibly proud to be at the forefront of launching this new fiber! Educate - Last year we had a goal to promote fair trade and we’ll keep doing that but we also want to provide opportunities for our community to learn more about topics relevant to our business! So, watch for guest blog posts, virtual Q&A sessions, and more. Topics will include Haiti, Sustainability (I’m sure you all have CiCLO questions already!), other Job Creation initiatives through GO Project (our parent organization), launching Apparel Collections in your store and more. Again, thank you to everyone who supported us this year - we can’t do anything without you! Cheers to 2024! 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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Upcoming Trade Shows & Events 2023
We're on the road this fall helping you get set up with everything you need for the holiday shopping season. October 1- October 3 Minneapolis Mart October 12- October 15 Museum Store Association Midwest Conference November 8- November 11 International Gift Expedition in the Smokies November 16- November 19 Kansas City Holiday Boutique November 28- December 1 Christian Camp & Conference Association
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