Our Greatest Superpower This Holiday Season, an interview with Cassidy Perry from The Arise Box
When we think of ethical shopping, our first question is usually,
"Where can I buy ethically made products?"
During the holiday season, we often miss the realization that our immediacy for gifts is overshadowed by our desire to shop ethically. Don't get me wrong – I'm very much that person who realizes on December 22nd that I still need to shop for gifts. However, with the pressure of buying the perfect gift for your loved ones comes the stress of overcrowded malls and department stores.
This holiday season, I want to challenge you to take notice of which gifts buy you, instead of you just buying them. What I mean by "gifts that buy you" is that as consumers, we often forget that our purchases are supporting someone – whether your money is filling the pockets of the rich and or funding the education of a child in Ghana. Instead of only looking for gifts that catch your eye, look for gifts you can buy without feeling guilty about the money you're spending on them. Luckily for you, I have a story to tell that might benefit you this holiday season.
The Arise Box was founded by Cassidy Perry in 2017 after the realization that fighting against human trafficking doesn’t need to start with acres of land for a safe-house or expertise in human rights law – the fight began with a subscription box.
"I heard about human trafficking while I was still in college and almost immediately knew I needed to do something."
Cassidy realized the burden of student debt created a blockade between her and her dream. Once restlessness and passion replaced her doubt, she stopped waiting for the stars to align and decided to align them herself. Cassidy then decided to create care packages compiled of donations to mail to safe homes around the country. To sustain these packages, the idea of a subscription box came to mind.
"The things inside of it are still making the world a better place, and by buying one, you're integrating into that story, and helping people who are making their products or supporting their economies. You're part of this bigger picture, and it's a small thing that you can do in your normal everyday life. It does make a big impact."
Inside each of the Arise Boxes are ethically and sustainably made products from around the world that directly support the creator. Every box has a postcard painted by a child in Ghana that you can write to. Not only are these subscription boxes uplifting communities, but they are also allowing us to advocate for the unseen and unheard.
“You're part of this bigger picture, and it's a small thing that you can do in your normal everyday life. It does make a big impact."
If you're an optimist like myself or Cassidy, the crushing pressure of "go big or go home" might resonate with you.
"I think putting more pressure on ourselves that we either have to be Mother Theresa or we are nothing leaves us with this desire that just will gnaw at us, and we feel incomplete because we won't let ourselves do something small and let that be enough," Cassidy reminds us.
We might be small, but the power we have is anything but. As consumers during this holiday season, I encourage you not only to gift shop for whoever you have in mind, but shop for those who survive off of the purchases you make. With your power as a consumer, you have the ability not only to buy something that will make a loved one happy, but you can let that love overflow onto another family this holiday season. The significance of something like the Arise Box not only alters the fabric of our consumerism, it can dramatically impact those we advocate the most for.
All in all, I want to help you this holiday season by helping you shop for gifts. Luckily for us, we get to find out what will be in an upcoming Arise Box for the holiday season.
"We are putting together a box that's all going to be items that are strategically benefiting human trafficking survivors and are made by human trafficking survivors," Cassidy shared.
Instead of pressuring you to change your consumer behavior immediately, I want to do my best at encouraging you to shift your attention from buying the "perfect" gift to buying the best gift.
Get 15% off a subscription at The Arise Box until the end of the year with code Dressember15!*
*Not valid on one time purchases
About the Author
Kanoelehua Robinson is a Native-Hawaiian from the small town of Hilo, Hawai'i. She loves finding new music, napping on the beach, and traveling, and she is incredibly passionate about her culture. She likes to sing and play guitar, but she's not like, "you should make YouTube covers" good. With her passions in art, music, and indigenous cultures, she hopes to use them toward her future career as she studies Public Relations at Azusa Pacific University.