Hello ~

Love your website by the way. We are a charity that started our own t-shirt line to help support our mission of providing school uniforms to orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa. Any news coverage / links to our site you can provide on your blog would be much appreciated!

I have attached some images of the shirts and some celebs holding the shirts plus a brief news item. Plus, the full press release is below as well. Thanks for your support.

CommonThreadz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is working to provide orphans and vulnerable children in developing nations the chance of an education and social acceptance by providing them with their much needed school uniforms. In addition to more conventional charity fundraising methods, we build awareness and funds for our mission and other nonprofits through our own line of socially-conscious apparel. For every t-shirt you buy, we give a school uniform to an orphan or vulnerable child in the developing world. Leading artists donate the designs & celebrities lend their influence for our limited-edition and individually numbered garments. Each design is an interpretation of a social issue and helps build awareness for a nonprofit we select that is addressing that cause. After the cost of the school uniform, the remaining proceeds from each sale are donated to the selected nonprofit.

“CommonThreadz was inspired by a desire to address an extremely important, yet underexposed social cause, and to utilize art and fashion to help bring that mission to fruition,” founder and executive director Zac Folk states. “For millions of disadvantaged children in developing nations, clothing is something that can either prevent them from an education or provide them with a huge opportunity to change their lives. Through our own line of socially-conscious apparel, CommonThreadz has created a vehicle to help sustain our charities’ mission while making what you wear an expression of what matters to you as well as a way to help someone who needs a hand up, not a hand out,” he finishes.

http://WWW.COMMONTHREADZ.ORG/SHOP

 

CommonThreadz launches nonprofit with artistic apparel that gives a school uniform to an orphan or vulnerable child for every garment sold
Well known artists and celebrities unite with new 501(c)(3) charity to provide school uniforms to disadvantaged children and raise awareness and funds for other nonprofits

Austin, Texas, June 9, 2008 – An education is something that most of us take for granted. Yet for countless orphans and vulnerable children in developing nations, it is a coveted luxury. In Africa alone, millions of children have never set foot in a school because they cannot afford the required uniform, or because they will have the stigma of having AIDS if they don’t have one. CommonThreadz (http://www.commonthreadz.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has recently launched in an effort to help supply school uniforms to orphans and vulnerable children in the developing world and is marrying art and fashion to help achieve that goal.

The organization is working with well-known artists and celebrities to commission designs for its socially conscious and limited-edition apparel. Ranging from women’s babydoll tees, to men’s vintage shrunken tees, all the way to infant and children’s apparel, CommonThreadz offers a variety of fashion forward looks with heart. For every garment sold, the organization donates a school uniform to a child in need.

Without an education, these children are left vulnerable to lives of crime and extreme poverty. A simple school uniform, which costs roughly $15 to $20 and is made by seamstresses in the counties CommonThreadz serves, can make all the difference for these deserving young people by giving them the gift of an education, and in turn a better life.

What’s more, the original designs are all inspired by charities and social causes, raising both awareness and funds for other nonprofits in addition to supporting CommonThreadz’ primary mission of providing school uniforms. Once the cost of the school uniform is covered, the organization donates the remaining proceeds to the cause that the garment supports. The result is a fashionable line of eco-friendly, graphic apparel that gives back in more ways than one.

“CommonThreadz was inspired by a desire to address an extremely important, yet underexposed social cause, and to utilize art and fashion to help bring that mission to fruition,” founder and executive director Zac Folk states. “For millions of disadvantaged children in developing nations, clothing is something that can either prevent them from an education or provide them with a huge opportunity to change their lives. Through our own line of socially-conscious apparel, CommonThreadz has created a vehicle to help sustain our charities’ mission while making what you wear an expression of what matters to you as well as a way to help someone who needs a hand up, not a hand out,” he finishes.

The gift of a uniform means both education and social acceptance. In addition, CommonThreadz works with local seamstresses in these developing nations, providing them with sustainable employment.

CommonThreadz currently offers over twenty distinctive designs, all raising funds and awareness for various causes. Leading graphic artists from around the world donate the designs, and each design is a limited edition. What’s more, the customer chooses the garment that they would like the design printed on, offering something for everyone with various colors and cuts to choose from. CommonThreadz utilizes eco-friendly lightweight fabric featuring unique hemlines, stitching details and a perfect “no shrinkage” fit.
In addition to the unique designs donated by talented artists, the organization is gaining celebrity interest as well. At the 2008 MTV Movie Awards Style Lounge, CommonThreadz was front and center to share its mission and apparel with some of Hollywood’s hottest celebrities. Dancing with the Stars’ Shannon Elizabeth, Entourage’s Rex Lee, musician Jerry Cantrell, actress Ashley Scott, R&B star Christina Milian, Desperate Housewives star Jesse Metcalfe, October Road and That ‘70s Show actress Laura Prepon, musician and dancer Julianne Hough and Hairspray star Nikki Blonsky all picked up CommonThreadz tees and were instant fans of both the concept and the designs.

“The immediate celebrity support that CommonThreadz has received is refreshing and a huge boost for our mission of providing school uniforms to children in need in the developing world. It goes to show that people really do want to use their influence and good fortune to help others, which is what CommonThreadz is all about. We couldn’t be happier with the celebrity response,” Zac Folk attests.

Starting at $38, CommonThreadz are available online at http://www.commonthreadz.org .

About CommonThreadz
CommonThreadz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is working to provide orphans and vulnerable children in developing nations the chance of an education and social acceptance by providing them with their much needed school uniforms. In addition to more conventional charity fundraising methods, we build awareness and funds for our mission and other nonprofits through our own line of socially-conscious apparel. For every t-shirt you buy, we give a school uniform to an orphan or vulnerable child in the developing world. Leading artists donate the designs & celebrities lend their influence for our limited-edition and individually numbered garments. Each design is an interpretation of a social issue and helps build awareness for a nonprofit we select that is addressing that cause. After the cost of the school uniform, the remaining proceeds from each sale are donated to the selected nonprofit. For more information, please visit http://www.commonthreadz.org .

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