If you need to buy a gift for someone who likes jewelry, purses, messenger bags or ceramics, this sale is for you. Everything for sale at World of Good, an Emeryville-based for-profit company with a social mission, is handcrafted. All items are certified to be made for a fair wage and under good working conditions.
"This is our 2009 end of the year sale and it's all sample and overstock items, fair trade items, and all the products are 90 percent off retail price," said Lonnie Shekhtman with World of Good.
World of Good products can be found at hundreds of retailers including Whole Foods, Mollie Stones and online at Worldofgood.com. But this weekend only, you can buy the items at the warehouse. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the warehouse sale will go to the company's non-profit arm.
The World of Good Development Organization provides free basic business training to woman in 61 underdeveloped countries.
"What this does is it enables the woman to negotiate for higher wages and to figure out more efficient ways to make their product," said Ella Silverman with the World of Good Development Organization. "So they can capture more time, and therefore more resources and more income for the products that they make."
A survey found that women who go through the program see an average wage increase of 20 percent. Many see an improvement in their quality of life.
"For example, some of the products come from the largest red light district in Calcutta," said Silverman. "These are woman that are former prostitutes. These women have been trained how to make this product. They are going on and they are training other women so that women can permanently remain out of prostitution."
This weekend's sale will be an opportunity for you do a little holiday shopping and do the world some good.
"We really want you to consider buying gifts that actually give back to community," said Shektman. "What a wonderful present to give."
The sale takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the World of Good warehouse at 6315 Doyle Street in Emeryville.
There's a special deal for viewers of ABC7. If you bring two friends to the warehouse sale and mention the KGO special, you will receive a free gift.
