Courtesy of Allbirds
Bay Area brands step up, give back during the coronavirus pandemic
24 April 2020
Along with masks, product giveaways, and dollar donations, Bay Area brands are supporting healthcare workers, restaurateurs and others in creative ways—many of which allow us regular Joes and Janes to get in on the act of helping, too.
So take a cue from Allbirds, Galanter & Jones, Haus, Peace Out Skincare, Jins Eyewear, and ThirdLove and do some good. You'll feel so much better, we promise.
(Courtesy of Allbirds)
Doing good for the planet is woven into the mission and shoes of this SF company. So when Allbirds immediately got down to the business of helping during the pandemic, it was right on brand. "Healthcare workers are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis; we are humbled by their service, and wanted to do what we could to provide comfort to them during this challenging time," says a company rep.
Allbirds has already donated $500,000 worth of wool runners to healthcare workers in the U.S., UK and Europe—an idea that took flight at the beginning of the year when a customer in China bought large quantities of the crazy-comfy kicks to send to doctors in Wuhan during the initial outbreak.
The B Corp has since launched a Buy One, Donate One program in which every pair of shoes purchased supplies a pair to a healthcare worker. (These bundles are specially priced.) So far, more than $1 million worth of shoes have been donated. "The feedback from our community has been incredible, and we continue to be blown away by the generosity of our customers. In the midst of the overwhelming uncertainty of this situation, the spirit with which so many are coming together to offer solutions and support for each other is a source of great hope," the spokesperson says.
We're all for giving and getting. However, if your closet has already reached maximum sneaker, just donate a pair of men's or women's shoes outright for $60. // allbirds.com(Courtesy of Galanter & Jones)
Anyone who has ever lounged on one of Galanter & Jones heated chairs or benches knows how yummy it feels. This is something the SF furniture company taps into with its #ContributeWarmth drive for COVID-19 relief. Here's the deal: Through Thursday, April 30th, the brand is soliciting Insta posts (videos are cool) about how you're sharing warmth, where you're finding moments of joy, creativity, laughter, calm, and humanity during shelter in place. For each submission, the company donates $10 to Tipping Point, a Bay Area organization raising $30 million to support non-profits and people disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. That donation doubles to $20 when you feature your own Helios Metro or other G&J piece. Make sure to tag @galanterjones and #contributewarmth. // galanterandjones.com
(Courtesy of Haus)
Sonoma's farm-to-glass spirits label is putting its money where its our mouth is with The Restaurant Project. In an effort to support the restaurant community, Haus has created special co-branded products and 100 percent of the profits go directly to the restaurants themselves.
"Like millions of Americans around the country, we're desperate to help restaurants and their employees. We realized that the existing options—like gift cards or takeout—simply weren't sustainable or scalable. By creating a high quality culinary product and selling it online, we're glad we can help restaurants receive financial support from their fans and patrons across the country," says Haus cofounder/CEO Helena Price Hambrecht.
The project kicked off with nine restaurant partners, including San Francisco's Rich Table and Mister Jiu's. Each chef/restaurateur provides his/her vision along with key ingredients and flavors and, voila, Haus cofounder Woody Hambrecht and Aaron Koseba, head of production, work their magic.
Haus x Rich Table's apéritif is crisp and botanical, blending some of the Hayes Valley spot's favorite ingredients—shiso, local citrus, and aromatic chrysanthemum. As for Haus x Mister Jiu's, it's a smoky apéritif, one that's herbaceous and warm with black cardamom, lapsang tea, spicy ginger, and floral osmanthus.
Brandon Jew, native SFer and chef/founder of Mister Jiu's, is thankful for the collab: "Since our closure it has been a rollercoaster of decision making and emotions. With each week that goes by, it seems more dire. Trying to stay alive each week is our game plan, so our collaboration with Haus felt like a godsend. These kinds of collaborations don't just give us creative stimulation, it gives us a little financial breathing room and, more importantly, it gives us hope that one day we can reopen the restaurant the way we remember it."
Pre-order products now for deliveries that will begin shipping in mid-May. Each collab is $80 for two 750ml bottles. Really thirsty? Try The Restaurant Project Collection, which comes with a 750ml bottle/flavor from each of the nine restaurants ($360). // drink.haus.com
(Courtesy of Peace Out Skincare)
This small-but-fierce SF brand, known for innovative, one-step skincare products, has been actively supporting COVID-19 relief from the beginning; founder Enrico Frezza is from Milan and his family lives in Italy. Understandably, Peace Out Skincare's first donations went to two Italian hospitals.
Then, Stateside, it donated 10 percent of the profits of product sales from March 18th through 25th to NYC Health + Hospitals fundand set up monthly donations to Feeding America. The biz is also giving away products through Donate Beauty. So far, 250 boxes of Allure Best of Beauty Beauty Award Winner Peace Out Acne Dots have gone to nurses and docs in New York.
And, ready for delivery soon: 500 boxes of Peace Out Emergency acne and pore treatment to SF hospitals and 250 to New York hospitals. Plus, as a gay-owned and operated business, PO is donating products to the LGBTQ community in SF on its own. "We are small but we are working to do what we can in as many different ways as we can," says CMO and creative director Junior Pence. Peace out! // peaceoutskincare.com
(Courtesy of Jins Eyewear)
Like all the other (non-essential) storefronts in Union Square, Jins Eyewear (151 Powell St.) is shuttered right now. Good news is the online store is open—and giving away free glasses to doctors, nurses, and other frontline workers in the Bay Area and beyond. Every day, the brand randomly chooses five people to receive a complimentary pair of Rx optical frames or sunglasses. But that's not all: Recognizing that the rest of us are logging way too much screen time during #quarantinelife, Jins is offering free blue-light blocking lens upgrades (usually $60) with the purchase of any frame—with or without prescription. (I got my eye on these beauts.) See ya. //jins.com
(Courtesy of ThirdLove)
Dealing with an uncomfortable bra is the last thing women battling coronavirus need to worry about—which is exactly why SF's direct-to-consumer bra brand ThirdLove is working with University of California San Francisco and Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx to donate 1,000 sets of bras and underwear to healthcare workers—including medical professionals, administrators, and hospital staff. ThirdLove also donated 2,000 masks to UCSF and is providing high-quality elastics for more masks being made by the Rothy's-led Open Innovation Coalition, a group of retail partners including Marine Layer and others to provide all types of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline workers who need it. Bra-vo! // thirdlove.com