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Charitable consumerism becomes popular way for students to give back

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Written by Lauren Stepp, Creative Director

Beads, string and wire equaled hope as customers filled The Ophilus, a boutique and home décor store in downtown Brevard. In an effort to support underprivileged women in Central America, the local shop began selling bracelets two years ago.

Each purchase of the accessories stimulates a fund that links directly back to supporting women in need thousands of miles away.

“I had a friend that was going on a medical mission trip. Originally, she was making the bracelets to fund her way to Guatemala. Once she got over there, she taught the women of the village to make the bracelets,” Martha Carlton, owner of The Ophilus said. “This way the women could continue to support themselves off of the newly acquired skill. Also, the customers that bought the bracelets felt good about their purchase.”

Unknowingly, these consumers were participating in an economic trend commonly referred to as “compassionate consumerism.” The system of selling merchandise for a cause has evoked much controversy in the recent years. Whether or not good marketing translates into good support is debatable.

TOMS, generally the trendiest contender, donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold. However, buying poor children shoes that cost $25 is not the most cost effective transaction. By taking advantage of a consumerist culture that is fixated on the newest fad, the founder of TOMS, Blake Mycoskie, has become successful. With a net worth of $5 million and his own personal sailboat, it is debatable whether the entrepreneur is stimulating his own personal wealth or his cause.

“I do not feel that you can make a blanket statement to answer whether compassionate consumerism is negative or positive in a society,” Carlton said. “Each situation is unique. It simply depends. As in every area of life, there are always going to be those that do things for selfish gain.”

Yet, according to www.povertycure.org/issues, this class of assistance and donation can lead to an increased dependency on foreign aid. The use of these products also influences local economies. Sending in a supply of shoes into an area harms the income of individual sellers of shoes and in a sense “gives a man a fish” rather than “teaching him how to fish.”

“I think that perhaps these companies donating and giving products away might lead to dependency. But you never know until it actually reaches that point. It is still a positive aspect of our society. It is great that businesses would actually do this,” freshman Jacob Hensley said. “Shoes are a necessity, and that is never going to change.”