Kudos to Giving Back

When I started to blog, I made a couple of promises to myself regarding it's contents. I would keep this blog only as a tool to educate people about the outdoor lifestyle, furniture, accessories, dining and all the things that matter when you are setting up an outdoor space. This blog would never be a forum for any political, religious or other viewpoints.

Then I stumbled upon something that blew my mind. It made me think about more than just the details of buying outdoor furniture and accessories. It reminded me that it's okay to blog about something that is truly important to me especially if it coincides with what I write about.

I found a non-profit organization that encourages companies to donate 1% of their gross sales to groups who exist to support the cause of good stewardship of our planet.

The idea came about when Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies realized they should give something back to the very place that has given them so much. In 2001, this bright idea was turned into a reality. In 2002, twenty-one companies joined 1% For The Planet. Today there are over 1.200 hundred companies supporting this cause in 38 countries.

I am going to post just a sampling of the companies that are involved - companies that are giving us beautiful products and helping to make the world a better place for our children.



Maku interested me because it is a Carlsbad based company just up the road from my community. When I started to research their product line, I was blown away by the style and the amazing contribution that the owners Johnny and Mike are making to the environmental cause on a local and global scale. Using grade A and reclaimed teak, they use only sustainable materials to construct this amazing furniture. Each piece is crafted with care and the understanding that it is one original piece of furniture. There is no mass production offered for these furniture pieces.













The other company I am excited about is Hom Life Style. KAA Design Group and Cisco Brothers have come up with a beautiful line of outdoor furniture dedicated to renewal. With nylon straps for seat support, the wood they have chosen is Machiche. It is also known as Mayan Teak because of its similarity in color and grain to natural forest teak from southeast Asia. The company is dedicated to finding new and better ways of creating furniture that has a smaller impact on the world around us.










Both these companies along with 1,198 others are dedicated to making the world a better place. 1% might not seem like much but, when you put it together globally, it is a significant amount of money to give back to protecting the earth. I for one believe we need to research the companies we purchase from.