Give Hope to Freeset

Kolkata, West Bengal, India

by Allume

$8,583

Amount Raised

About this Fundraiser

Update!!! Great News to Share!!!

Original Post

Last night I received an alarming email from one of our Allume partners (and now also one of my friends) Kristi Griem, with Freeset.

Here's what it said....

Local Non-Profit Affected By UPS Cargo Plane Crash in Birmingham, AL

Freeset USA, a non-profit business, lost over 13,000 bags, with a retail value of $150,000, in this morning’s (8/14/13) plane crash in Birmingham, AL. Freeset USA represents Freeset Bags & Apparel, a fair trade business offering employment to women trapped in Calcultta, India’s sex trade. The products were a complete loss and represented an entire fall inventory for online sales, fair trade stores, and conference events.

Freeset's Response

“Our prayers and thoughts are with the families of the pilots that passed away in this tragedy,” says Kristi Griem, President of Freeset USA. “We seek to honor them and their families in the face of this loss. We also are thinking about the women at Freeset who will be impacted by the loss of these bags which represents 3 months of hard work.”

The Impact

Because the shipment was lost in the crash, that means the $75,000 worth of continued operational revenue is lost too. Insurance covers the cost of current shipments declared value; however, it does not cover the lost revenue from the projected sale of the bags. This is what is used to keep operations and orders moving forward. In order to make sure that Freeset USA can continue operations, and can continue to send orders to Freeset, we need your help.

From Kristi...

"It has become clear that Freeset Bags & Apparel in Calcutta, will receive an insurance pay-outfor the declared value of the goods lost in the UPS plane crash. We are really pleased about this! This means there is no need to collect donations to cover those costs. The women at Freeset will not be financially disadvantaged in any way.

However, donations to help Freeset USA cover its costs while it is short of inventory would ensure future operations are not negatively affected. This is what is used to keep operations and orders moving forward. In order to make sure that Freeset USA can continue operations, and can continue to send orders to Freeset, we need your help."

The Community Response

These incredible communities are all coming together to help meet this need!

How You Can Help

On behalf of Freeset and these communities, we want to ask you to join us and "buy back" all of the lost bags (the total loss in sales is $150,000).

This is what is used to keep operations and jobs moving forward. In order to make sure that Freeset USA can continue operations, and can continue to place orders with the Freeset women in Kolkata.

And it's not about bags lost, it's about women offered hope and freedom through Freeset who invested 3 months to make them. It's about people who's lives have been changed from making these bags, and continuing to offer them the livelihood afforded them through Freeset. It's for new life, promise and hope. It's a really big deal, and a big number to try and hit....but God is so much bigger.

Freeset has a bag amongst their awesome collection called the Hope Bag. The Hope Bag retails for $25, so we want you to join us and "buy a bag."

Please Donate (via the big green "Back This Fundraiser" button at the top) a full $25 to cover one lost bag (or buy lots of lost bags in $25 increments).
After you donate to buy a lost bag, then hop over to Freeset's site and buy a bag that will actually be sent to you in the mail too. This will help secure future season's orders for their continued success.

Please continue to pray for the families who lost loved ones, the pilots of the UPS cargo plane carrying the bags that crashed. If you would like to donate to the families of the 2 pilots lost in the UPS Cargo Plane crash, you can hop over HERE to be a part of that life-giving effort as well.

More About Freeset

Freeset is in business for freedom. Freedom from human trafficking. Freeset is a fair trade business that sells bags and t-shirts, made by women freed from human trafficking in Calcutta, India. The women are able to have a job with dignity, making products, instead of being the product. Every woman receives three times the wage they would receive in a regular job, learn to read and write, daycare for their children, have medical insurance and retirement benefits. Women were tricked, trapped, or traded and find themselves seemingly without a choice. Our goal is to change the economic scope of Sonagacchi, Calcutta's largest red light district, to one of freedom, instead of the sex trade. Because Freeset is a fair trade business a simple ‘re order’ is not possible. The women are paid fair wages for their work and we are not a mass-producing, slave labor force.