2008-04-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

Flickr, How to: “Give a Shi®t”
click here see article in Granville magazine summer 08

"The best test of a civilized society is the way in which it treats its most vulnerable and weakest members."

-Mahatma Gandhi
Do you ever wonder what is in the hearts and minds of Vancouver’s most vulnerable?

“Give a Shi®t”, is a project designed to raise visibility and funds for social enterprise initiatives in Vancouver’s DownTown East Side- specifically, employing and empowering people to make powerful choices in their community.

Melissa Blyth of GreenOne Ventures, a local designer of fashionable and functional reusable bags, is finding out just what does lie beneath. And then putting it on t-shirts. Cool ones. Blyth has created a spirited fundraiser for the Transformational Venture Capital Fund, a resource created by a group of forward-thinking entrepreneurs called the Business Collective. The fund is designed to generate highly profitable ventures, which use the profits to create sustainable transformation and social impact in their communities. Their intention is to initiate global transformation through business by simply and clearly demonstrating exceptional success, excellence and social impact being produced together in breakthrough businesses.

Teaming up with local designer Kate McNair of LOHAS Communication Design, Blyth has created this venture to highlight the connection between people and our planet. The duo will partner with Ingrid Doerr of Pulling Ink to print 100% organic T-shirts showcasing unique quotes and artwork drawn from interviews with Blyth and McNair, and people living on the street and in the DTES.
“Our intention is to connect people and appreciate the idea that our communities and who we are, are not so different- no matter where we live. The way I see it: there is no separation- we’re all in this together” says Blyth.
By wearing one of these sustainable and stylish T-shirts, Blyth declares that it’s a “perfect way to show you give a shi®t and help to transform the lives of others”. In other words- reverence for each other and our planet.

Like the ancient Chinese Proverb says: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

The shi®ts will be sold at select shops and markets throughout Vancouver, and online at www.g reenoneventures.com

Give a shi®t