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Five refugee-run businesses offering the perfect holiday gifts
From jewelry to coffee to candles, refugee-run businesses offer an incredible selection of crafts and cuisines that make for the perfect holiday gift! When you shop at a refugee-run business, you’re making an impact in more ways than one — finding a unique gift to impress your loved ones, and helping refugee artisans and business owners gain independence, integrate into their new communities and take care of their families.
This holiday season, check out five refugee-run businesses that offer a variety of amazing gifts for your friends and family to enjoy!
The Refugee Artisan Initiative is an eco-friendly program that collaborates with refugee and immigrant women in the Seattle metropolitan area. The initiative aims to support their successful transition to the U.S. by offering training in artisan skills and assistance in developing micro-businesses.
From handmade crafts like purses made of recyclable materials to bold statement jewelry, each item produced through the initiative is sold to support the program's mission.
Emma’s Torch is a non-profit social enterprise that provides refugees with in-depth culinary training as well as employability, equity and empowerment training. Thanks to its cafe and catering businesses students in the program learn in both a classroom and apprentice setting. Emma’s Torch sets its students up for successful employment in an industry where their cultural heritage and cuisine can be celebrated.
Eat at one of the Emma’s Torch cafes in Washington, DC or Brooklyn, NY or purchase a Holiday Gift Box filled with delicious hot cocoa, granola, tea, biscotti and more.
MADE51 creates opportunities for refugees to earn an income through dignified work that makes use of their valuable skills, traditions and heritage. Working in collaboration with an ecosystem of partners, this UNHCR initiative brings beautiful, refugee-made products to the international market and connects refugees with social enterprise partners to design, produce and market artisanal products worldwide.
Shop for everything from toys to art to home decor at MADE51 — and don’t forget to check out MADE51’s special holiday collection featuring a variety of beautiful, handmade ornaments.
When you purchase a bag of rich roasted coffee from the1951 Coffee Company, you are supporting the livelihood and wellbeing of refugees in the United States.
1951 Coffee Company is a non-profit specialty coffee organization that provides job training and employment to refugees, asylees and special immigrant visa holders while educating the surrounding community about refugee life and issues. The non-profit is not just empowering refugees, it’s taking care of the environment! The 1951 Coffee cafe is fully solar powered and uses a Bellwether zero emission roaster.
Purchase a bag of their delicious coffee, some cool swag or beautiful drinkware for your favorite coffee lover this holiday season. They even have a coffee subscription!
"A good candle, with a good cause," is at the heart of Kin & Care, a Maryland-based candle company's mission. The candles, which proudly display a "Made in America by Refugees" sticker, are handcrafted and poured by newly resettled immigrant and refugee women residing in the Washington, DC area. The candles are made in an inclusive work environment, where owner, Ferzan Jaeger, strives to create opportunities for refugee women as the brand continues to grow and evolve.
Select the perfect scented or decorative candle from one of Kin & Care’s unique collections today.
Project Feast provides refugees and immigrants in the Seattle, WA area with culinary training through a 14-week culinary apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship combines classroom, kitchen and English language lessons and teaches industry standards for food safety and customer service. Project Feast empowers students in the program to share their diverse stories and cuisine, fostering an intercultural exchange that enriches and unites the community.
This holiday season, purchase one of Project Feast's Holiday Gift Boxes, filled with delicious treats—such as snacks, hot sauce, tea, spice mixes and recipes—from the program's staff and alumni.
Don’t need anything new for the holidays? Consider spending your money on a gift that takes up no space but makes a huge impact. When you donate to USA for UNHCR, you help the UN Refugee Agency provide emergency shelter and lifesaving aid, including food, medicine and clean water, to people during their greatest time of need.
*This article has been altered from it’s original version to include additional gift ideas.
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Muslim World League | KSA
The Muslim World League (based in the Holy City of Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) was established in 1962 following a resolution adopted during a meeting of the World Muslim Congress, held in the Holy City of Mecca on 14 Dhu Al-Hijjah 1381 AH (May 18 1962 AD). The League has issued a fatwa permitting the giving of Zakat to eligible refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) through the Refugee Zakat Fund, so long as the receipt and distribution of Zakat are done according to the relevant Islamic rules, most important of which includes the 100% Zakat distribution policy whereby beneficiaries among refugees and IDPs receive the entirety of Zakat funds.