As a FOR-PROFIT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE our philosophy and mission is straightforward - we believe in giving back to the local community where we work and live. Often our next door neighbors are people in need who are disabled, disadvantaged and/or marginalized.
We support people in need by donating a percentage of our sales revenue to various charities, employment training programs, homeless outreach, and youth sports programs. Our donation efforts are listed for the public in our website BLOG section and on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/eastwestartisans
Our mission aim is to be a preferred platform offering high-quality excellent-value products to consumers around the globe and a vehicle to market for charity-minded creatives - built upon a sustainable Social Enterprise for Profit business model with People, Planet then Profit as our primary focus. .
Gifts4Humanity Founder, John Davis, has been managing charity and social enterprise projects since the late '80s. With initial major projects in Mexico and Australia, and recently 17 years in China and Singapore before relocating to Sydney, Australia in 2020.
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In the late 70s, just out of High School, John was homeless and sleeping rough on the streets of Orange County, California. With that lived experience and now based in Sydney, John will be donating a good portion of profits from sales to various Homeless Outreach Programs.
Autism support is also especially close to John's heart as two of his grandchildren are challenged with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome.
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Since 2010, John has helped raise financial support for the Tianjin Jian Hua Autism Training Centre in China. In 2016, working with the teachers at the centre, John became aware of additional practical needs such as art easels and other equipment to help improve their art therapy program. Until then the students had drawn on low tables or the floor.
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August 2016: with the help of Artist, Patrick J. Maguire from London, and local Chinese Artists Aidong Feng and Klaus Zhang, we purchased and delivered six double sided Art Easels for the Tianjin Centre. Along with our supporting artists and translation teams, we facilitated several workshops to allow the students along with their teachers and parents to test drive the new easels......
"Wow, I feel like a real Artist now" was one comment from a 7-year old autistic student. The boost in self-esteem and the physical ability to express artistically provided by a simple easel was immediately apparent.
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Later the Headmaster, Tong Laoshi, explained how big a difference the easels made in the children’s self-confidence and ability to express themselves artistically, along with new hope it brought to the parents.
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The parents realized their children may have an opportunity as an employed artist or creative when they grow older - something virtually never considered in China where Autism is known as "the loneliness disease"
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Having seen first hand the difference made - the Gifts4Humanity shopping platform was created to provide opportunity for charitable-minded people to purchase high-quality, ethical trade art and decorative products while knowing a good portion of proceeds are being used to make the world a better place for those in need.
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Proceeds from sales are currently being used to support the following charities and programs:
Beyond Social Services - Singapore (disadvantaged families)
Riding for Disabled - Singapore (equine therapy)
Tianjin Autism Training Center - China (art therapy)
West Ivanhoe Sports Club-Youth Program-Melbourne (youth support)
Please check the BLOG section on this website to see donation updates for outreach programs in the Sydney area,
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As we grow our business, the vision for the future is to assist those who are marginalized in establishing a self-supporting enterprise and we look forward to employing people who are differently enabled.
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At GIFTS4HUMANITY, Fair & Ethical Trade means we promise to ensure no child labor is used, every person involved and/or employed in the production process are given a minimum "living wage" and are working in safe conditions.
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THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT !
