4 New Orleans-Inspired Gifts That Give Back
Show a little love for the Big Easy this season with these noteworthy gift ideas that benefit New Orleans' nonprofits.
In tonight’s finale of Brothers Take New Orleans, Jonathan and Drew wrap up their renovations of two New Orleans homes, receive the judges’ final word on the winner and donate those homes back to the community.
Emilee Ramsier
Want to do your part to show the Big Easy a little love as you shop for holiday gifts? We’ve rounded up a few picks that will bring joy to your recipient and the community.
Rough-and-Tumble Bag
Kicker Kalozdi named DamnDog — a rugged offshoot of his family’s 40-year-old, New Orleans-based premium bag and specialty products company — after his French bulldog, Dozer. He really does give a damn; a portion of all DamnDog’s sales benefit an annual charity. This year, it's the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
005 — Under Gear Box (Rebel Gray) - damndoghq.com, $120
Saucy Socks
The thoughtful folks at Bonfolk Collective note that socks are the most requested and least donated item at America's homeless shelters, and they aim to change that. For every pair of socks the New Orleans' collective sells, a pair is donated to a local shelter or charity. (Harry Tompson Center, New Orleans Mission and Covenant House have all received gear from Bonfolk.)
Jazzamatazz Socks - bonfolk.com, $18
A Bird for Bathtime
A "design for good company" based in New Orleans, Goods that Matter creates eco-friendly products that benefit the environment. To date, the company has donated $25,710 to aid in wetland restoration, oil spill cleanup, disaster relief, education and advocacy groups.
Their BirdProject Soaps are a literal interpretation of that mission. As the activated-charcoal-based, cypress-scented soap wears away, the user is left with a pure white ceramic bird handmade from Louisiana clay. Ten percent of the proceeds from the soaps goes to help with environmental cleanup and animals affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
BirdProject Soaps + Keepsake - ourgoodsmatter.com, $28
Coffee With a Kick
Avery and Janet Glasser of Bittermens Spirits — now in Portland, Ore., after three years in New Orleans — were inspired to create a coffee-based liqueur. They blend NOLA-sourced coffee beans with organic roasted French chicory root, vanilla, cacao nibs and Belgian candi syrup. "We thought that if we're going to use New Orleans in the name, then we want to give something back to the city," the Glassers say. For every bottle they sell, then, they donate 50 cents to a New Orleans charity. Most recently, they’ve supported Tipitina's Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank and Grow Dat Youth Farm. Not bad for out-of-towners — not bad at all.
Bittermens New Orleans Coffee Liqueur - spirits.bittermens.com, $24.99-$26.99
Find the Bittermens in cocktails at Cafe Henri and Cane & Table in New Orleans and at Harvard & Stone in Los Angeles.
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Don't miss the finale of Brothers Take New Orleans tonight at 9|8c when Drew and Jonathan join forces to renovate their building’s exterior—and face final judgment from local real estate experts and appraisers.
