upworthy

Skip Black Friday and shop discounts at these companies making a positive impact on the world

Michelle Gant
11.27.19
Courtesy of DoneGood

While Thanksgiving is meant to celebrate all we have to be grateful for, it's also the unofficial kick-off to the holiday shopping season. Last year, Americans spent about $1 trillion on gifts. What if we all used that purchasing power to support companies that reduce inequality, alleviate poverty, fight climate change, and help make the world better?

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the coming days will have spending on everyone's brains. But in an effort to promote the companies doing good for the world, DoneGood founder Cullen Schwarz created Shop for Good Sunday (which falls on December 1 this year.)

Dubbed the "Alternate Black Friday," Shop for Good Sunday is dedicated to encouraging people to shop brands that do good for people and the planet. It also serves as a reminder to support local businesses making a positive impact in their communities.

While Shop for Good Sunday technically falls on a single day, this year, participating ethical and sustainable brands are running discounts for the whole week prior.

Where you invest your dollars matters, and there's great potential to put that money to good use if you know how. Check out these six brands that sell amazing products while also making a positive impact on the world. You'll not only be getting your loved ones meaningful gifts, but also making the world a brighter place along the way.

Isn't that what the holidays are really about?

Functional outdoor gear

Parque Rain Shell

Cotopaxi makes unique, sustainable outdoor gear, like this Parque rain shell, while keeping ethics at the core of its business model. The company gives 1% of its annual revenue to organizations that fight poverty and improve the human condition.

Modern furniture

Simbly Coffee Table

Simbly is a direct-to-consumer furniture company that sells modern, sustainable products built in the U.S. made of FSC-certified wood. And for every product sold, the company plants a tree.

Beautiful jewelry

Tho Bar & Geo Buffalo Horn Earrings

Hathorway is a jewelry company that handcrafts its accessories with materials like ethically-sourced up-cycled buffalo horns and handwoven rattan. Each item is designed and assembled in the U.S. with thoughtfully selected materials sourced from Vietnam, Thailand, and South Korea. A portion of the company's profit goes to initiatives that empower young, underprivileged women.

Luxe linens

Bamboo Charcoal Sheet Set

Ettitude crafts its home textiles from CleanBamboo fabric, a unique material made from 100% organic bamboo, the most resource-efficient plant on the planet. It also requires significantly less water to grow and produce than traditional cotton textiles. The products are also ethically made and come in packaging made from extra pieces of fabric.

Unique wood wares

The Charcuterie Board

Would Works creates and sells beautiful household wood products handcrafted by people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty. The company works with its artisans to provide job skills, financial literacy, and an income so they can reach their financial goals.

Empowering candles

She Inspires Candle

Prosperity Candle products are created by women refugees building a brighter future for themselves and their families. Each candle is made of soy-blend wax with essential oils hand poured in a well-designed container that is easily refilled or repurposed.

Find more of these great deals at DoneGood!

*Upworthy may earn a portion of sales revenue from purchases made through affiliate links on our site.

black fridaycyber mondayshop for goodsustainability
Business

What the world looks like if all the land ice melts

These maps show the shocking answer to a terrifying "what if" scenario.

Business Insider Science/YouTube

A map imagining what the United States would look like partially covered in water

Land ice: We got a lot of it. Considering the two largest ice sheets on earth — the one on Antarctica and the one on Greenland — extend more than 6 million square miles combined ... yeah, we're talkin' a lot of ice. But what if it was all just ... gone? Not like gone gone, but melted?

If all of earth's land ice melted, it would be nothing short of disastrous. And that's putting it lightly. This video by Business Insider Science (seen below) depicts exactly what our coastlines would look like if all the land ice melted. And spoiler alert: It isn't great. Lots of European cities like, Brussels and Venice, would be basically underwater.

I bring up the topic not just for funsies, of course, but because the maps are real possibilities.

climate change, sea level rise, global warming, antarctica, greenland, environment, viral video, science California coast line at sunsetCanva

How? Climate change.

As we continue to burn fossil fuels for energy and emit carbon into our atmosphere, the planet gets warmer and warmer. And that, ladies and gentlemen, means melted ice.

A 2015 study published by researchers in the U.S., U.K., and Germany found that if we don't change our ways, there's definitely enough fossil fuel resources available for us to completely melt the Antarctic ice sheet.

Basically, the self-inflicted disaster you see above is certainly within the realm of possibility.

climate change, sea level rise, global warming, antarctica, greenland, environment, viral video, science Gif from the videoBusiness Insider Science/YouTube

In Africa and the Middle East? Dakar, Accra, Jeddah — gone.

climate change, sea level rise, global warming, antarctica, greenland, environment, viral video, science Gif from the videoBusiness Insider Science/YouTube

Millions of people in Asia, in cities like Mumbai, Beijing, and Tokyo, would be uprooted and have to move inland.

climate change, sea level rise, global warming, antarctica, greenland, environment, viral video, science Gif from the videoBusiness Insider Science/YouTube

South America would say goodbye to cities like Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

climate change, sea level rise, global warming, antarctica, greenland, environment, viral video, science Gif from the videoBusiness Insider Science/YouTube

And in the U.S., we'd watch places like Houston, San Francisco, and New York City — not to mention the entire state of Florida — slowly disappear into the sea.

climate change, sea level rise, global warming, antarctica, greenland, environment, viral video, science Gif from the videoBusiness Insider Science/YouTube

Business Insider based these visuals off National Geographic's estimation that sea levels will rise 216 feet (!) if all of earth's land ice melted into our oceans.

There's even a tool where you can take a detailed look at how your community could be affected by rising seas, for better or worse.

Although ... looking at these maps, it's hard to imagine "for better" is a likely outcome for many of us.

Much of America's most populated regions would be severely affected by rising sea levels, as you'll notice exploring the map, created by Alex Tingle using data provided by NASA.

Take, for instance, the West Coast. (Goodbye, San Fran!)

climate change, sea level rise, global warming, antarctica, greenland, environment, viral video, science Visualization showing what San Francisco would look like underwaterBusiness Insider Science/YouTube

Or the East Coast. (See ya, Philly!)

climate change, sea level rise, global warming, antarctica, greenland, environment, viral video, science Visualization showing what Philadelphia would look like underwaterBusiness Insider Science/YouTube

And the Gulf Coast. (RIP, Bourbon Street!)

"This would not happen overnight, but the mind-boggling point is that our actions today are changing the face of planet Earth as we know it and will continue to do so for tens of thousands of years to come," said lead author of the study Ricarda Winkelmann, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

If we want to stop this from happening," she says, "we need to keep coal, gas, and oil in the ground."

The good news? Most of our coastlines are still intact! And they can stay that way, too — if we act now.

While world leaders have made pledges and set goals since this article first appeared, the crisis remains. You can help get the point across to them, too.

Check out Business Insider's video below:

climate change, sea level rise, global warming, antarctica, greenland, environment, viral video, science Business Insider Science/YouTube

This article originally appeared eleven years ago.

antarcticaclimate changeenvironmentglobal warminggreenlandsciencesea level riseviral video
Science

Girlfriend films hilarious moment her boyfriend becomes a ‘staff member’ mid-flight

She thought he was taking too long in the bathroom…then saw him collecting trash in an apron.

Photo credit: Canva

Imagine looking up and your SO is suddenly par tof the cabin crew of your flight.

Many people might think that the job of a flight attendant is a luxurious one. After all, you're visiting different states and countries, and looking pretty sharp while doing it. But flight attendants have plenty of unenviable obligations after the flight takes off. One being collecting garbage from the passengers.

So when the crew on a TUI Airlines flight asked a man to help them with collecting "rubbish" as a joke, they were certainly not expecting to get a "yes" in response. But the man, named Michael, was serious about the offer, and when his girlfriend Olivia Power, who goes by @lifewiththemancs on TikTok, looked up, she saw that her boyfriend somehow took a new job role mid-air.

The footage showed Michael in the aisle of the flight, wearing disposable gloves and donning an apron along with a neck scarf to mimic the flight staff's uniform, pushing a trolley alongside a flight attendant. "

"Anyone with any rubbish?" Michael spoke to his fellow passengers, who gladly played along and handed him the trash that he stuffed down the trolley he was pushing. Power recorded her boyfriend and giggled along as he inched closer to their seat.

@lifewiththemancs @TUI UK & Ireland might have a new staff member by next week. We’ll take free flights as payment pls 👀🤣 #fyp #tui ♬ original sound - Olivia & Michael

As Power shared in interview with Newsweek, she and Michael were traveling back to London's Gatwick Airport from their vacation in Crete, Greece, when the 36-year-old man decided to join the flight crew. When he didn't return from the washroom within the next few minutes, Power wondered what was taking him so long…until she noticed Michael in a new attire.

"I turned around and he was coming down the aisle like that!" Power told the news outlet, writing "The UK and Ireland might have a new staff member by next week. We’ll take free flights as payment, please," in the caption of her video.

People in the comments section of Power's video were equally gobsmacked.

@claire.willis3 joked, "Took me a moment to realize he wasn't the guy behind the attendants and he was the new attendant." @garymckie2 remarked, "Airlines are going to cut staff now and ask passengers to fill in to pass the time." @beccaheywood3 wrote, "I thought he was the guy in red and he was just stuck behind the trolley." @_plsdontbotherme wondered, "I need to know how this happened lol what was the conversation with the flight attendants that he was allowed to be an honorary flight worker." To this comment, Power replied that Michael had taken up the offer as a joke for the time being. @label743 added, "If they removed the extortionate baggage prices, I’d do this to pass the time."

Honestly, given how chaotic travel has been lately, maybe Michael's silly act of service feels like it's for the greater good. With government shutdown talks sparking fresh worries about air traffic delays, staffing shortages, and general airport mayhem, having a few enthusiastic volunteer-bin-collectors on standby might not be the worst idea. Hey, if everyone pitched in a little mid-flight, maybe we could shave a few minutes off boarding times—or at least score some free pretzels.

In the meantime, you can follow Olivia Power (@lifewiththemancs) on TikTok for more lifestyle videos and, who knows, maybe updates on Michael’s budding aviation career.

This article originally appeared 2 months ago. It has been updated.

air traffic delaysaviation careerflight attendantgatwick airportgovernment shutdownlifestyle videosnew jobtiktoktui airlinesbaggage pricestravellingair travel
Joy
Conservation

Researchers tested a bottle of Fiji against a glass of tap water. The results were alarming.

Heroes

Target employee tells woman at self-checkout section 'You can't leave'—turns out it actually saved her life

Family

Baby born with incredibly beautiful hair looks like he's a younger version of Maui from 'Moana'

Husband who lost his job reluctantly moves family in with mother-in-law, pure joy ensued

Families moving in together isn't failure. Sometimes it's their greatest success.

Image via Canva

Katie Bunton shares her family's journey with multigenerational living.

Multigenerational living is not as common in our independent, self-sufficient American culture, but Instagrammer Katie Bunton (@ktbunton) is hoping her experience will open more people's minds to it. Bunton, her husband Harry, and their twin boys recently moved in with their mother-in-law, Louella Beale (@nana_lulu_love), after experiencing financial hardship, and opened up about the experience with her followers.

"We moved in with my MIL (mother-in-law) 2 months ago when my husband lost his job and I just keep thinking...it must have taken a lot of propaganda to make us believe this was failure," she writes in the video's caption.

Why moving in felt like a risk

In the inspiring video, Bunton showed her viewers some of the incredible benefits they've had with the extra support of Nana Lulu. From making and eating meals together to time spent in the garden and doing other menial daily tasks, she shows that life has truly improved–even though society may look at their living situation differently. "So you’re telling me, this isn’t how it was supposed to be all along ? #multigenerationalliving with @nana_lulu_love 🫶🏽," she captioned the video.

What viewers said about family living together

Viewers responded with great delight and support.

"I wholeheartedly believe that we’re supposed to be living with family❤️," one wrote.

Another added, "It’s the best. My grandmother and mother live with us. I could never asked for a better support system. I would never ever live without multiple generations in the same house or compound."

Another offered, "This has forever been my dream 😢 I’m with you, we’ve been lied to in the west. Intergenerational living is beautiful and to me the gold standard for living in harmony and raising children well ❤️."

Nana Lulu herself even commented, "🥹🥹😭😍😍 I’m such a lucky lucky so and so. 🙏🏽Thank you 🙏🏽 thank you 🙏🏽 thank you 🙏🏽 for the beautiful blessings of family love. 💛💛💛💛"

In another video, Bunton shared a vlog with her followers sharing more about living with her MIL and the benefits of living multi-generationally. "You’re telling me we could have both parents present and hands on, all we have to do is just lower our cost of living? spend less money? And pool our resources with family? 🤯" she wrote.

In the video, she explains that her family moved in with Nana Lulu at the end of January 2025. "It's taken us quite a while to get into the swing of things. We moved into a new town as well," she adds.

Their routine has undergone a complete change, but in a positive way. She has even noticed positive changes in her relationship. "My husband has felt happier, lighter and more himself than I have ever seen him," she says.

A second look: two months in

The second video also got tons of positive comments from viewers who are loving the new living situation.

"This is my definition of rich ❤️," one wrote.

Another offered, "As someone that doesn’t have a MIL to fall back on, I just want you to know that I’m so happy you have that. So happy you know the peace that extended family can bring and that you/your husband have the support you need to get to the next stage 🫶🏼💕."

And this commentator praised the situation while sharing about their own: "My husband and I live with my parents. They built us a basement apartment and I am forever grateful to them not only for that but for the bond it has allowed them to have with my kiddos ❤️ I definitely get caught up thinking we’ve done something wrong but we’ve just done what we can with the cards we are dealt. I am so grateful for my village."

This article originally appeared earlier this year.

Modern Families

'Because of God, love wins': Gay priest gives powerful sermon about authenticity of LGBTQ love

He spoke out after the church would not let him marry.

via Southwark Cathedral/YouTube

The Very Reverend Dr. Mark Oakley, a gay priest serving at Southwark Cathedral.

The Church of England has been deeply divided in recent years over whether to perform same-sex marriages, which were made legal in England in 2014. In 2023, a compromise of sorts was made when priests were allowed to offer blessings or prayers of thanksgiving and dedication to same-sex couples, which stopped short of being an official church wedding ceremony.

On October 15, however, the Church of England announced that it had paused plans to hold blessing services and that clergy members would not be permitted to marry their partners. This move was seen as a step backwards for LGBTQ equality in the church, and it inspired a passionate sermon from The Very Reverend Dr. Mark Oakley, a gay priest serving at Southwark Cathedral.

In his sermon, Oakley pushed back against the idea that LGBTQ love was separate from God's love and said that to live a life of true faith, one should have the integrity to be their true self.

- YouTube youtu.be

Oakley said his understanding of the power of integrity began when he was 18 and came out to his grandmother. “I’ve only been worried about one thing, Mark. I’ve just worried you would never feel able to tell me,” his grandmother said. “I came to see that my grandmother’s response was the response of love, and therefore it is also the response of God. God wants us to share with him who we really are, and to know that God’s love only overflows and never diminishes when we dare to do this.”

The Church of England often quotes the apostle Paul when discussing LGBTQ rights, using it as a basis for the church’s anti-same-sex-marriage stance. “For this reason, God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural" (Romans 1:26).

However, Oakley argued that the world has changed drastically since Paul’s day and that, in today’s world, he would have a very different view of the LGBTQ community.

“Paul was not in the 21st century," Oakley said. "He would never meet men or women who set home up together, cooked with each other, went on holiday together; caring for each other, growing old together, being there for better or worse, and feeling a painful absence in their life when death separated them."


Oakley concluded his speech, driving home the point that love comes directly from God, manifests in countless ways, and that we should be thankful for this blessing.

“Because of God, love wins," Oakley said. "No matter what can be said or done to control or stop it, no matter how fancy the theology is to disguise a prejudice. Love comes in many shapes and many sizes, and for that and for all the diversity of all the people in the church and beyond, thanks be to God."

At the sermon’s conclusion, the congregants gave him a standing ovation.


The push for LGBTQ equality in the Church of England may have been stalled, but that doesn’t mean the movement is over. The decision has pushed some priests to go rogue and perform blessings for same-sex couples outside of church doctrine.

The Rev. Simon Butler says that to refuse a blessing to same-sex couples contradicts his role as a vicar. “The pastoral task laid upon me by my ordination vows and the mission of God in this community is more important than allowing an illegitimate request from the House of Bishops to get in the way,” Butler wrote.

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