Happy Friday and May 1st, everyone!

What a time to be alive. There's a global pandemic going on, beaches are closed, people are panic-buying toilet paper, and there was a leaked video of UFOs (?!). 

With that being said, there is still so, so much good going on in the world. People are coming together to make ventilators and face masks for areas in need, essential workers are getting the love and recognition they deserve, kids are drawing beautiful, positive chalk messages on the sidewalks, teachers are doing parades in the neighborhood to show kids they are loved and not forgotten, the amount of pollution around the world has gone down significantly because most places are closed, small businesses are getting extra support, and so much more! 

We would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all of the support we've received since the beginning. And today, we are going to show you exactly where your purchases have gone.

Because of you all, we were able to:

1. Plant 318 trees! This time around, we chose to plant with Trees For the Future https://trees.org/. This organization not only plants trees for positive environmental impact, but this assistance helps impact the lives of farmers and children, resulting in positive impacts for over 28,000 people so far. Through their Forest Garden Approach, farmers plant thousands of trees that protect and bring nutrients back to the soil. This helps farmers grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. Forest Garden farmers gain increases in income and food security, even in the first year."Our latest data indicates that the Forest Garden Approach ends hunger for most families after the first year. Only 13% of our project participants were food secure when they joined the program, and after just 12 months of planting Forest Gardens, 86% of our farmers aren't worried about going to bed hungry." Amazing work over there! 

2.  We were able to help a group of women in need living at the crisis center in Metro Manila, Tahanan Sta. Luisa, receive mental health support with individual and group counseling/ therapy sessions and assist in getting their education by helping with school supplies. These girls/women were exposed to physical, emotional, and sexual trauma while living on the streets and Tahanan Sta. Luisa helps them recover from the trauma of abuse and exploitation through helping the girls get their education, empowerment, counseling services, and livelihood opportunities. We are looking into partnering with them to possibly help sell some of the girls' work on our site with full profits going back to the girls. 

3. We were able to help several women at Women's Global Empowerment Fund https://wgefund.org/ get microloans for their businesses so that they can begin to thrive on their own. WGEF helps women in Uganda gain access to microcredit loans, business and leadership development training, literacy, health initiatives. Empowering women is the first step to obtaining social justice and change within an antiquated system. "Investing in women and families by creating a social network and assisting with microloans for their business ideas, provides not only economic opportunities, but educational opportunities as well. This can help women to build livelihoods and a brighter future for the entire family." As a woman founded and run small business, we are all about supporting other women to help them follow their dreams and thrive.

Thank you for all your support and positive messages. We love that you are on the same wavelength, and are voting with your dollar.

In other news, this month we are working on a couple of different styles for summer! We are venturing into eco prints, and our first batch should be ready by June! Keep your eyes peeled for a fun summer coupon code and follow along our journey @dogoodsurfclub! 

Take care and stay safe,

Jasmin