By Safia Ohlson
Earning a living without compromising my ideals of love and compassion is important to me. For years I have tried to fold right livelihood into my own spiritual wellbeing, so when I took a job at Horny Toad Clothing as an editor and copywriter, I was beyond thankful to work somewhere that makes upholding my ideals easy.
While Horny Toad might not use the phrase “right livelihood” to describe its business ethics, if you go to its website, you will read this: “The choices we make are as important as the clothes we create. We try each day to lighten our environmental footprint, be good partners in all of our relationships, pay attention to and stay active in our communities and support organizations that improve our world…”
Here’s an example of how it’s walking its talk: In 1997 it co-created a non-profit called Planet Access Company (PAC). PAC is a nonprofit life-skills training group with a mission to positively change the lives of adults with developmental disabilities by providing them with training and work opportunities. Today each Horny Toad item gets picked, packed and shipped with unmatched reliability and enthusiasm by the PAC work crew.
PAC’s co-founder (along with Horny Toad) is called Search Developmental Center and it has a 30-year track record of working with adults with developmental disabilities. They provide lifeskills training, beautiful group homes in good neighborhoods and, most importantly, the chance for their members to participate fully in society and their community. The goal of Search is to provide the opportunity for a dignified and fulfilling life to this overlooked and underestimated population. Their next challenge for Horny Toad was to answer the question: “What’s work without play?”
Enter Search for Adventure (SFA), an adventure travel program that uses proceeds from PAC and a grant from Horny Toad to send Search residents and members of the PAC work crew on trips to get a taste of the outdoors. The cherry on top is that Horny Toad employees join the trips as volunteers. Recently they expanded the program so that employees from stores that carry Horny Toad can also participate.
What it comes down to is that every day I get to work with a team of sincerely good people whose mission is to make sure that each Horny Toad order arrives at its destination full of clothes perfect for living fully engaged, meaningful lives both in and out of doors. And I know that since the PAC work crew is responsible for sending those clothes, each package we send is off to a really good start.
note from denise:
Horny Toad is one of my favorite companies and I am honored they choose to collaborate with me as a sponsor. For a few years they have offered my dear readers yummy dresses and men's shirts in GIVEaways on my blog and a constant 20% discount (with code: DENISE at checkout) and will continue to do so. I believe deeply in their mission and in their vibe and their soft, beautiful, comfy, functional clothes. Everyone I have worked with on their staff has been so personal and kind and gracious. Its obvious they are one huge family and they extend that feeling to those that support them. I was honored to host this heart warming post from Safia! Also...they just launched their new Fall line and are having a big Spring sale. Yummmm.