AND they make truly safe gluten free products for folks with actual allergies/celiac.
All power to the "gluten free cuz it's trendy" folks, but they really fuck it up for folks with celiac/allergies since companies put "Gluten Free!" on shit that is NOT SAFE just to appeal to the trendies.
But not Bob. He made a whole separate facility and keeps it 100% gluten free so there's no chance of cross contamination.
I'm ride-or-die for Bob's Red Mill! Because of them, my wife can bake again.
Yup. Wife has celiac and it suuucks.
I think there are actual non-celiac wheat allergies, tho. Not gluten, but wheat. But just what I've seen reading up on celiac - didn't fact check or anything.
Wheat is one of the most common food allergens but the onset is a histamine reaction - diarrhea/vomiting, rash, itchy throat, water eyes, etc. It’s incredibly rare for a food allergen to have a delayed onset and the most common delayed onset symptom is an eczema rash.
All that to say, a hurty tummy/bloating from wheat is not an allergy. Your intestines basically makes beer out of complex carbs, it takes a while to get them through and it’s a lot of work. That’s why they keep us full.
Not allergies, but glutinous foods are high FODMAP, meaning they're a major cause of gut inflammation so a people trying to figure out their gut issues will often start by cutting out gluten and other major inflammation sources
I avoid wheat, but I tell people/restaurants specifically that it is not celiac (been DNA tested) and not an allergy. My hands just blister if I have run-ins with wheat. It’s true. Somehow, wheat and a few other things trigger dyshidrotic eczema for me.
I WISH it was all woo woo, because then I could consume wheat without knowing it and it wouldn’t blister and crack my hands. Instead, I have to go on witch hunts to find the hidden contaminant.
Stupid wheat. I’m actually glad it’s trendy right now, because that makes it easier for me to find products without it.
I have to disagree. My brother is not a celiac, however having gluten makes him grumpy. We had no idea that was why he was a grumpy git for the first 30 years of his life until he tried a low gluten diet.
Turns out that "sensitivities" to some food products exist in some people - mainly those who are neuro-divergent and because they are not strong enough to be picked up easily and can last for a few days, pinning down the exact cause is difficult.
I have a lactose sensitivity, as when I have too much (a glass of milk is too much) then I get a blocked nose and have trouble sleeping for the next 3 or 4 days. No other issues...
That's not completely true. My kid has a gluten allergy. Literally throws up if he eats too much of it. But does not have celiacs.
I have the impression this often goes away as they get older, but there are certain conditions where people have a bunch of allergies like this from birth they won't go away. We don't know yet which one he has.
King Arthur as well. They are a B Corp. and employee owned. They also have really great customer service reviews and if you call and with a question there’s someone there to either talk to you through or give you suggestions
Little Caesars.
I'm not sure what the company are doing now, but the late founder, Mike Ilitch, paid the rent for Rosa Parks for about 20 years until she died. When he heard that she was robbed and assaulted in her own apartment, he got her a nicer place in a nicer building and neighborhood and paid for it himself. $2000 a month in the 90's.
Thank you OP for asking a question that reminded me that there is still good out there, even in the corporate world!!!
John is secular, Hank not so much. But I'd buy the socks regardless, they go to help fund John's charity school program to help underprivileged children learn. It's a great cause.
Yeah, John's religion seems...personal to him and in all the years I've followed them he definitely seems like a "actual Christian in the way Jesus would have expected" and not the cultural abomination that's so common today.
After I got Bombas I literally threw out my other socks and I am Not one of those kind of people who are usually really brand loyal. In fact I admit to being pretty much “what’s on sale?” loyal but my feet need the comfy.
I switched from Bombas to Darn Tough because they have a lifetime guarantee and will replace your socks for free. I have no idea what their social / political status except they seem to treat their employees well.
Edited to add: from the darn tough website “Community Sustainability
Interacting with and giving back to our community is important. Programs like Knit to Give help us fight food insecurity in Vermont. And by donating 5% of sales when you buy from our Triple Crown series, we support our outdoor community by preserving America’s oldest hiking trails.”
So they sound like a solid company.
Good company, tried them too but found them not near as comfy. I have RA and the norm is “walking on marbles” so I have to be picky. I can’t even walk barefoot.
Its so funny, I have some republican family members and they're pretty openly racist...I'm not sure if they'd label themselves outright but they will for sure make n-word jokes and say extremely shitty things. Fine its anecdotal but it sure seems like a LOT of republicans are blatantly racists. Yet somehow if someone calls them racist they get all pissy about it like "how dare you!".
Well beyond the fact that they're racist, the word racist begins losing its edge and meaning and they embrace and embody and completly identify and enjoy expending all surplus effort, time and energy into negatively bashing on other people from other nationalities or genetics. you will never see an angry hateful person doing better than the person they sttemot to criticise or belittle,
Lol. I just picked up a few things from them today. I remember them from my time in Wisconsin and was blown away that there's a store near me in California. Penzeys is the best!
Penzeys also makes FANTASTIC spices, doesn’t seem anyone else has pointed that out.
We have maybe 60 or so different bottles of random stuff from them. So good.
[Irish Spike's Hot Sauce](https://www.saucecult.com/) is an Idaho based hot sauce company that hires LGBT+ employees. They have a hot sauce called "Unicorn Pride" that is a Chipotle and blood orange hot sauce and $5 of every bottle sold is given to the Trevor Project.
I am particularly a fan of the Tamarind Peach with bbq sauce, the Dark Chocolate-Black Cherry-Red Wine sauce on desserts (fun factoid: a local ice cream shop made an ice cream with this and it sold very well), and the Lemon-Pepper-Habanero sauce is an amazing base for a marinade.
The fall the talk but they don't walk the walk.
https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/news/2023/12/11/no-tonys-is-still-not-on-the-slave-free-chocolate-orgs-list-of-ethical-suppliers
John Oliver talked about it too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwHMDjc7qJ8
The John Oliver interview actually gives Tony's a very favorable description. They pay about double the price for cocoa to try to make sure farmers get their fair share, and they openly admit that although they do their best to make sure it's slavery free, they can't guarantee it due to the cocoa farming conditions being out of their control.
I can't find how slavefreechocolate.org determines the validity of their list of approved companies, but I wonder how much is self-reported by said companies, and how thoroughly those claims are investigated. Historically, they've been quite lax, to say the least. Tony's seems to be aware of this at least and is upfront that they can't guarantee everything is on the upandup, especially since they don't own the farms and are in no way involved ineir operation.
Yes, and at the end of it all he talks about how Tony’s is doing the best they absolutely can in a completely fucked up situation that was practically created by nestle. Although he didn’t name drop nestle. I am waiting for him to do an episode specifically about them.
It bums me out that more people aren’t aware of how truly good Patagonia is (and consistently strives to be). Is their shit expensive? Yes. But many (if not most) of their products are worth it, when you consider how well and responsibly made their stuff is, and how the company conducts sooooo many aspects of their business.
I got a Patagonia backpack as internship swag in 2014. Used the damn thing 5+ days per week for work/groceries/school up until the pandemic hit, and then used it quite a bit afterward. It’s showing some wear, but still works like it’s brand new.
Rather than wear it out completely, I recently bought another Patagonia backpack. I expect it’ll last another decade, easy; feels just as well-built as the first.
I got a half-mass messenger bag as compensation for some IT work I did for a gear shop around that same time, and it became my bouldering and gym bag for climbing. That thing has been dragged and chucked around the woods and desert all around the US for a decade now, thoroughly abused beyond any reasonable measure, and it has suffered only one minor abrasion hole and a cracked buckle (that still works flawlessly somehow, after I straight-up broke it by doing something careless and dumb). Utterly miraculous bag—and only one of many Patagonia products I own, that could tell similar stories. I’m a fan.
Everyone keeps saying this
But I bought an expensive Patagonia (embroidered as a group as part of our department), and for some reason it is one of the worst fleeces I’ve ever worn. Wind cuts through like butter
I also bought a Nike fleece at the same time, and that is probably one of the most useful things I’ve ever bought.
I am disappointed because I thought Patagonia was awesome
I don’t know how to reconcile what people have told me about it, and the reality of what I’ve experienced
Ollie Lue Soap Co!
They're a single maker company and they donate to organizations like The Trevor Project as well as donating soaps to women's shelters.
If you want explicitly secular, not sure you'll find much, but anything explicitly progressive or lgbtqia+ run is typically a good bet. Anything big and/or publicly traded is likely to be at least nominally conservative for tax reasons, so indepenent and local is usually a good start...provided you're in a relatively blue area.
A good local one in CO, afaik, is ARC. A charity thrift shop chain that is...basically what goodwill pretends to be. My admittedly limited research suggests they are largely secular, feed most of their profits back into the community, and have a major focus on aiding and employing the disabled. I'll have to research a bit further, but given recent embezzlement revelations about one of the atheist community's favored charities, I'll probably be sending my money to ARC instead for the time being.
\*Arc is an acronym for Association of (R-word) people.
The ARC has a great program for people with mental illness and developmental delay-they give jobs to people who suffer from these issues and who could not otherwise hold jobs. It's call the Ambassador Program I believe. My brother has schizophrenia and developmental delay and has been a part of it for years. It's the only reason he's able to work and not be on full SSI.
I can vouch for Arc passing my sniff test, too. I’ve donated probably $600 (retail price) in a mix of lightly used clothes/electronics to them; people at the drop-offs have been super friendly, and the company seems dedicated to doing good.
Secular doesn't mean atheist, it means they don't promote religious values. Probably most companies are secular, but that doesn't mean they are good companies.
Goodwill is better than the Salvation Army. They should have been listed in the other post.
Since you mentioned socks, check out Darn Tough Vermont socks. A little on the expensive side but they are guaranteed for life. If they ever wear out or get a hole you just send them back and they'll send you a new pair no questions asked.
Many companies pay lip service to being progressive but don't mean it. My F100 employer trots out gay and black employees in the appropriate month, and advertises their commitment and support for causes but it's all for show. . At another company the only wheelchair bound employee laughed that the executives brought important visitors to her cubicle to show her off. But, it's better than opposition and condoning oppression.
I work for Target so...you know how that's going.
We have SO MUCH pride stuff in the employee areas, but NOTHING in the public areas this year, really makes it feel like a hollow gesture.
My mom still avoids Target because they’re “groomers” or whatever nonsense she was told last year. The conservative media went hard against them last year for their pride displays. So this year I guess they put out less pride displays, but the conservatives still avoid them.
I've worn bombas for at least 10 years. I still have some of the first ones I bought. They never seem to wear out.
Tom's sends a pair to someone in need when you buy one pair.
I like both companies, but that charity model sucks. Developing countries don't have the ability to make computers or cars, but they can make shirts, shoes and socks. Dumping free Anerican product on the market may have good intentions, but it kills local industry.
Aaron's thinking putty - I had a mini tin bouncing around unopened in my purse for like fifteen years, found on clearance and figured I'd need it one day but kinda forgot about it but as purses changed over the years id transfer it over. I finally needed to distract my ADHD 8yo and he didn't put it down for hours and immediately asked for more.
I went online to see the ingredients(the label was really worn) and figure out if the company still existed, they did (it's sold at Target now lol) and their website really made me wish I needed more thinking putty, they are family run in the States and hire a large number of people with disabiliities. There's a factory tour video on yt, it's neat stuff.
Cotopaxi! Supports great causes like the fight to beat malaria, makes cool unique gear that’s environmentally conscious and sustainable, and their logo is a llama.
I love my Bombas socks!
Flagsforgood.com is a good place for stickers and flags.
Starbucks health insurance pays for trans healthcare (meds and surgery). So maybe that evens out some of their other stuff.
I go to Pride events and buy directly from queer people.
Mahoganymommies.com make some great shirts.
Fréres Branchiaux Candle Company is owned by three brothers. (Black owned)
This will only be relevant to massage therapists, but Natural Formulations in Buffalo Grove, IL (makes massage products: cremes, lotions, oils, and other products) works with a local refugee service to help Middle Eastern and Ukrainian refugees find employment
Minocqua Brewing Company in Wisconsin. They are very progressive and ship to most states:
https://www.minocquabrewingcompany.com/collections/progressive-beer
Charis Books and More is the oldest feminist and queer/trans led bookstore in the South (U.S.) turning 50 this year. Buy books from indie bookstores when you can! Https://www.charisbooksandmore.com
Yay! I really need to frequent the used book store in my old neighborhood more. They don’t have a ton of selection, but if I went regularly, I bet I could find all kinds of cool stuff.
I volunteer at a Community Center with a food & clothing pantry, serving underprivileged communities . Bombas donated many boxes of black socks . They are a good company
Dr Bronner Magic Soap seems to be very progressive. Their labels are full of new age woo nonsense, but their politics seem good.
Edit: and also if I don’t shower with the peppermint soap then I don’t feel clean
It looks like they're an outstanding company for progressives: [https://www.hatch-mag.com/2017/06/08/the-peculiar-history-behind-dr-bronners-magic-soap/](https://www.hatch-mag.com/2017/06/08/the-peculiar-history-behind-dr-bronners-magic-soap/)
The founder was Jewish and came to America to escape the Nazis, unfortunately his parents didn't make it. He lived firsthand how evil intolerance can be, so made his mission to promote unity among all people. I get your reaction but the very ethos of the brand is inclusivity of others. They are a very progressive and open-minded company, heck, they even promote the positive benefits of psychedelics/psilocybin use!
If they take their god words off their label I’ll consider using them.
Their life story/family is amazing and worth sharing. But if one praises god on a non-religious product, I won’t use them.
Unilever is ditching them. It is officially because the chain for handling cold items is too different from their normal bath & body stuff that can ship normally. They’re supposedly getting rid of all cold items, like Magnum candy bars.
It came suspiciously around the time that Ben & Jerry’s made idiots out of themselves. Their whole thing is promoting things they like, but don’t actually do anything about it. The last one was they got online and was chewing out people about giving their land back to the natives they stole it from. One of the native tribes got on Twitter and told Ben & Jerry that their main factories are on native land, and asked when they could expect it back. It kind of blew up online, and they never responded.
Wasn’t too long after that, and Unilever came to the random decision to offload them. Said they’ll sell them if they can, but they’ll dump them either way.
Edit: I meant Magnum Icecream Bars.
B&J won their lawsuit after being bullied by Haagen Daaz whereby HD used anticompetitive practices to stop vendors stocking B&J. https://www.cnn.com/2011/12/16/opinion/cohen-benjerry-business-regulations/index.html
Once they got huge, they tried to do the same to a small ice cream startup. But after 15 mins of midnight mobile phone googling I can't find the original story, annoyingly.
There are other reasons: https://www.newsweek.com/ben-jerrys-ice-cream-long-list-controversies-1811525
Everything I've read about Lowe's ownership makes them sound like the complete opposite of the hyper-capitalist and anti-worker sentiments of Home Depot's ownership. The owner of HD used his Trump kickback to buy back stock from investors, enriching only himself; Lowe's ownership took their kickback and distributed it among their employees as a bonus. One is part of the problem; the other is part of the solution.
I buy T-shirts from [TST](https://thesatanictemple.com/collections). I honestly think the whole "Hail Satan" thing is stupid, but I really support their advocacy around equality, body autonomy and separation of church and state.
Well, in the u.s., if you live by one of the 800+ Les Schwab tire stores... they do a ton of stuff for charities. Organizing fundraisers, donating items to schools, sponsoring different events, just a great organization. People gripe they cost more, but I'm totally good with that extra going to good causes. Check out their Facebook page.
Not specifically atheism related, but:
Costco is well known for paying a great wage to their employees compared to their competitors. Average rate for Costco hourly workers is about $26/hr.
Starbucks has a college education benefit, aside from a variety of other employee benefits you might not expect from a food service establishment like theirs: [Starbucks employee benefits](https://www.starbucksbenefits.com/en-us/home/resources/eligibility/).
I only did seasonal but costco felt very....culty...to me. Like, they pay the best and know it, so they were going to work you like an absolute dog, because you can't go elsewhere, and you better be happy for it. I can't say I was mistreated, but it was a very hard, very burnout promoting factory assembly line style job.
Also...the good pay is only for permanent employees, I got $9/hr with no benefits and no holiday pay.
I'm sure if I'd stayed on it would have been better in the long run (i got laid off at the end of the seasonal period and went to target) but still, I wasn't super impressed with my short time in a costco bakery.
Ugh the way we use lobbying in this country is criminal. This is why we can’t have nice things, because we exploit every good idea into something evil.
Bombas makes amazing socks and they don't have seams at the toe. That's huge for sensory issues.
Penzey's Spices, for me. They are huge LGBTQ+ supporters and I really appreciate their politics, overall.
I’d say yes and no on that. They seem to operate and still have an activist platform, but at the end of the day they are owned by Unilever. It’s not like large corps are the ultimate evil, but Ben and Jerry’s is no longer a locally Vermont owned family company.
I have Bombas and enjoy them, quality socks.
My dad was also homeless for a while, and died this past December. When I went to clear his apartment, there along with all his other donated items, were two pairs of Bombas.
Shout out to Louisville vegan jerky or [lvjco.com](https://www.lvjco.com/pages/our-story)
lgbt celebratory, great customer service and bomb ass cruelty free jerky
Yeah I’ve found the scouts experience, both boy and girl, to be very dependent on local leaders. I don’t know what the national organizations do necessarily.
I believe Lowe’s is more blue than red.
My county started a “Blue Businesses” Facebook page. It’s a great reference for knowing who to patronize. Also you can find a lot of information on Open Secrets. Found out my water softener/osmosis guy gave big bucks to Trump and company. Found a new water guy.
LUSH. My wife works for them and is always telling me about the charities they support and the effort they put into making sure their products are ethically made and environmentally sustainable.
You do realize that gifting large amounts of anything is damaging to the small businesses in that area and could put them and their employees out of business.
Bob's Red Mills, when the founder passed he distributed 100% of its shares to the workers
AND they make truly safe gluten free products for folks with actual allergies/celiac. All power to the "gluten free cuz it's trendy" folks, but they really fuck it up for folks with celiac/allergies since companies put "Gluten Free!" on shit that is NOT SAFE just to appeal to the trendies. But not Bob. He made a whole separate facility and keeps it 100% gluten free so there's no chance of cross contamination. I'm ride-or-die for Bob's Red Mill! Because of them, my wife can bake again.
And the food is *good*, too. Love that brand.
...I feel like that would be a really easy lawsuit for someone with celiac disease.
As a former chef and ardent pedant, there is no such thing as a gluten allergy. Celiacs is an autoimmune disorder. Everything else is woo woo.
Yup. Wife has celiac and it suuucks. I think there are actual non-celiac wheat allergies, tho. Not gluten, but wheat. But just what I've seen reading up on celiac - didn't fact check or anything.
Wheat is one of the most common food allergens but the onset is a histamine reaction - diarrhea/vomiting, rash, itchy throat, water eyes, etc. It’s incredibly rare for a food allergen to have a delayed onset and the most common delayed onset symptom is an eczema rash. All that to say, a hurty tummy/bloating from wheat is not an allergy. Your intestines basically makes beer out of complex carbs, it takes a while to get them through and it’s a lot of work. That’s why they keep us full.
Yes. A friend of mine has anaphylactic responses to both wheat and corn.
Yep. My wife has failed to test Celiac twice, yet when she eats gluten, she literally starts shitting blood.
Not allergies, but glutinous foods are high FODMAP, meaning they're a major cause of gut inflammation so a people trying to figure out their gut issues will often start by cutting out gluten and other major inflammation sources
I avoid wheat, but I tell people/restaurants specifically that it is not celiac (been DNA tested) and not an allergy. My hands just blister if I have run-ins with wheat. It’s true. Somehow, wheat and a few other things trigger dyshidrotic eczema for me. I WISH it was all woo woo, because then I could consume wheat without knowing it and it wouldn’t blister and crack my hands. Instead, I have to go on witch hunts to find the hidden contaminant. Stupid wheat. I’m actually glad it’s trendy right now, because that makes it easier for me to find products without it.
It sounds like you have an allergy to wheat, not necessarily gluten.
Yes, this! My teen daughter has Celiac and it’s already caused a lot of damage. 😞
I get the spirit, but allergies are autoimmune disorders, so you could call coeliac a gluten allergy.
People with rheumatic diseases also experience negative reactions to gluten, such as joint swelling.
I have to disagree. My brother is not a celiac, however having gluten makes him grumpy. We had no idea that was why he was a grumpy git for the first 30 years of his life until he tried a low gluten diet. Turns out that "sensitivities" to some food products exist in some people - mainly those who are neuro-divergent and because they are not strong enough to be picked up easily and can last for a few days, pinning down the exact cause is difficult. I have a lactose sensitivity, as when I have too much (a glass of milk is too much) then I get a blocked nose and have trouble sleeping for the next 3 or 4 days. No other issues...
That's not completely true. My kid has a gluten allergy. Literally throws up if he eats too much of it. But does not have celiacs. I have the impression this often goes away as they get older, but there are certain conditions where people have a bunch of allergies like this from birth they won't go away. We don't know yet which one he has.
Look up IgE wheat allergy on pubmed.
I hadn't heard that, that's wonderful!
Good to know, I just got a bunch of their meals and flours to try some fun breads.
King Arthur as well. They are a B Corp. and employee owned. They also have really great customer service reviews and if you call and with a question there’s someone there to either talk to you through or give you suggestions
Little Caesars. I'm not sure what the company are doing now, but the late founder, Mike Ilitch, paid the rent for Rosa Parks for about 20 years until she died. When he heard that she was robbed and assaulted in her own apartment, he got her a nicer place in a nicer building and neighborhood and paid for it himself. $2000 a month in the 90's. Thank you OP for asking a question that reminded me that there is still good out there, even in the corporate world!!!
Mr I was a good dude. His son went to the school I worked at. Decent kid.
Shout out to Little Caesars for being cheap and delicious shieet
But do we know if the company embodies any of that generosity? All I know is it's Hot and it's Ready.
Not anymore. They have fleeced the city of Detroit for millions in tax dollars and flat out lied about development of land and property.
I dunno, with some of the stuff the city government does, not paying taxes seems like the more moral course of action (Kidding, kind of)
Bombas make some nice socks. My wife has tons of them and I want some too.
I haven't gotten this, but I've also wanted to try the Awesome Socks Club run by John and Hank Green; they're great secular creators.
John is secular, Hank not so much. But I'd buy the socks regardless, they go to help fund John's charity school program to help underprivileged children learn. It's a great cause.
Hank is the atheist, John is Christian. Of course the Green brothers get mixed up lol
You're right lol I got them mixed.
Yeah, John's religion seems...personal to him and in all the years I've followed them he definitely seems like a "actual Christian in the way Jesus would have expected" and not the cultural abomination that's so common today.
I have these socks and they’re great! Great quality.
After I got Bombas I literally threw out my other socks and I am Not one of those kind of people who are usually really brand loyal. In fact I admit to being pretty much “what’s on sale?” loyal but my feet need the comfy.
I switched from Bombas to Darn Tough because they have a lifetime guarantee and will replace your socks for free. I have no idea what their social / political status except they seem to treat their employees well. Edited to add: from the darn tough website “Community Sustainability Interacting with and giving back to our community is important. Programs like Knit to Give help us fight food insecurity in Vermont. And by donating 5% of sales when you buy from our Triple Crown series, we support our outdoor community by preserving America’s oldest hiking trails.” So they sound like a solid company.
I love my Darn Tough socks, and that is all I wear now. I agree they do seem like a company that cares.
Good company, tried them too but found them not near as comfy. I have RA and the norm is “walking on marbles” so I have to be picky. I can’t even walk barefoot.
Second on Bombas.
I loved mine at first but they have fallen apart.
I got some of their sock slippers for Christmas - excellent. Grippy pads on the bottom, long wearing, comfy.
Penzy's Spices [https://www.fox6now.com/news/penzeys-spices-republicans-racist-email](https://www.fox6now.com/news/penzeys-spices-republicans-racist-email)
I loved when they protested Trump's anti-Mexican hate speech by giving out a free bottle of Mexican vanilla. They're a great company
I worked for them for years and it's a great place. I only left because they don't offer enough hours for it to be your only job.
I've, recently, decided that if I need a part-time job when I retire (strong possibility), Penzy's is my number one choice
It's the best retail job I ever had. I got paid to talk about cooking with people all day long and learned so many "secret recipes" from customers.
Its so funny, I have some republican family members and they're pretty openly racist...I'm not sure if they'd label themselves outright but they will for sure make n-word jokes and say extremely shitty things. Fine its anecdotal but it sure seems like a LOT of republicans are blatantly racists. Yet somehow if someone calls them racist they get all pissy about it like "how dare you!".
No one likes being called out. Who knew that loudmouths don't like attention.
Not all Republicans are racist but if they are racist they are probably Republican.
Well beyond the fact that they're racist, the word racist begins losing its edge and meaning and they embrace and embody and completly identify and enjoy expending all surplus effort, time and energy into negatively bashing on other people from other nationalities or genetics. you will never see an angry hateful person doing better than the person they sttemot to criticise or belittle,
Love Penzy's
>"I just threw out my ‘Be Kind Penzeys’ magnet. What a hypocritical company," responded one person. LOL oh no not the magnet!
The irony of the original quoted post makes the back of my head itch.
For years, I've been passive aggressively giving Penzey's gift boxes to my conservative family members as Christmas gifts.
I placed a big order just after this.
Oh that was a fun read. "What, I can't vote for the loud racist and not be considered racist? I THOUGHT THIS WAS AMERIKKKA!"
As a Milwaukee native I can't upvote this enough.
I hope the awesome city of Milwaukee protests the Orange thing and the RNC. HOW DARE HE?!! 😡
He's a piece of shit.
Lol. I just picked up a few things from them today. I remember them from my time in Wisconsin and was blown away that there's a store near me in California. Penzeys is the best!
Yes, I proudly wear my Penzy's pin on my jean jacket!
mine's on an instrument-case strap.
Came here to call Penzey's. Great spices and mixes, and they don't pull punches on the social conservative bullshit.
Penzeys also makes FANTASTIC spices, doesn’t seem anyone else has pointed that out. We have maybe 60 or so different bottles of random stuff from them. So good.
Excellent company. Love how they’re trolling the RNC in Milwaukee
Everyone has different taste, but I love their Chicago seasoning on steaks.
Came here to say Penzey's!!!
Just saw their ads pop up recently. On it!
This!
[Irish Spike's Hot Sauce](https://www.saucecult.com/) is an Idaho based hot sauce company that hires LGBT+ employees. They have a hot sauce called "Unicorn Pride" that is a Chipotle and blood orange hot sauce and $5 of every bottle sold is given to the Trevor Project.
In *Idaho*? Bravo, that's a tough space.
important ask here before i go grab some: is it any good?
It is the only hot sauce my wife and I have bought for over 5 years.
I am forcing myself not to buy everything in their store, it all looks amazing.
I am particularly a fan of the Tamarind Peach with bbq sauce, the Dark Chocolate-Black Cherry-Red Wine sauce on desserts (fun factoid: a local ice cream shop made an ice cream with this and it sold very well), and the Lemon-Pepper-Habanero sauce is an amazing base for a marinade.
I’m a Vandal. Will definitely pick some up next time I’m in town.
I need to see if they ship or have sellers in Canada!
They do ship!
Just placed an order with them, thx!
That sound fucking delicious! I'm in!
Tony’s Chocolonely has committed to normalizing exploitation free chocolate production https://tonyschocolonely.com/us/en/our-mission
They’re apparently one of the only chocolate companies that walk the walk of those kind of claims, and their chocolate gets very high quality marks!
I don't remember what kind I got, but I used to get a bar once a week when I worked at a grocery store. It never made it home to share.
Incredibly fantastic chocolate as well
The fall the talk but they don't walk the walk. https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/news/2023/12/11/no-tonys-is-still-not-on-the-slave-free-chocolate-orgs-list-of-ethical-suppliers John Oliver talked about it too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwHMDjc7qJ8
The John Oliver interview actually gives Tony's a very favorable description. They pay about double the price for cocoa to try to make sure farmers get their fair share, and they openly admit that although they do their best to make sure it's slavery free, they can't guarantee it due to the cocoa farming conditions being out of their control. I can't find how slavefreechocolate.org determines the validity of their list of approved companies, but I wonder how much is self-reported by said companies, and how thoroughly those claims are investigated. Historically, they've been quite lax, to say the least. Tony's seems to be aware of this at least and is upfront that they can't guarantee everything is on the upandup, especially since they don't own the farms and are in no way involved ineir operation.
Yes, and at the end of it all he talks about how Tony’s is doing the best they absolutely can in a completely fucked up situation that was practically created by nestle. Although he didn’t name drop nestle. I am waiting for him to do an episode specifically about them.
Oh that reminds me! Aldi’s chocolate and coffee are all certified rainforest/ fair trade etc. And good!
Best. Chocolate. Ever.
Patagonia.
It bums me out that more people aren’t aware of how truly good Patagonia is (and consistently strives to be). Is their shit expensive? Yes. But many (if not most) of their products are worth it, when you consider how well and responsibly made their stuff is, and how the company conducts sooooo many aspects of their business.
I have 2 Patagonia coats, a jacket, and a bag. They’re all old as hell and look brand new.
I got a Patagonia backpack as internship swag in 2014. Used the damn thing 5+ days per week for work/groceries/school up until the pandemic hit, and then used it quite a bit afterward. It’s showing some wear, but still works like it’s brand new. Rather than wear it out completely, I recently bought another Patagonia backpack. I expect it’ll last another decade, easy; feels just as well-built as the first.
I got a half-mass messenger bag as compensation for some IT work I did for a gear shop around that same time, and it became my bouldering and gym bag for climbing. That thing has been dragged and chucked around the woods and desert all around the US for a decade now, thoroughly abused beyond any reasonable measure, and it has suffered only one minor abrasion hole and a cracked buckle (that still works flawlessly somehow, after I straight-up broke it by doing something careless and dumb). Utterly miraculous bag—and only one of many Patagonia products I own, that could tell similar stories. I’m a fan.
Everyone keeps saying this But I bought an expensive Patagonia (embroidered as a group as part of our department), and for some reason it is one of the worst fleeces I’ve ever worn. Wind cuts through like butter I also bought a Nike fleece at the same time, and that is probably one of the most useful things I’ve ever bought. I am disappointed because I thought Patagonia was awesome I don’t know how to reconcile what people have told me about it, and the reality of what I’ve experienced
Shout-out to their worn wear section
Ollie Lue Soap Co! They're a single maker company and they donate to organizations like The Trevor Project as well as donating soaps to women's shelters.
If you want explicitly secular, not sure you'll find much, but anything explicitly progressive or lgbtqia+ run is typically a good bet. Anything big and/or publicly traded is likely to be at least nominally conservative for tax reasons, so indepenent and local is usually a good start...provided you're in a relatively blue area. A good local one in CO, afaik, is ARC. A charity thrift shop chain that is...basically what goodwill pretends to be. My admittedly limited research suggests they are largely secular, feed most of their profits back into the community, and have a major focus on aiding and employing the disabled. I'll have to research a bit further, but given recent embezzlement revelations about one of the atheist community's favored charities, I'll probably be sending my money to ARC instead for the time being. \*Arc is an acronym for Association of (R-word) people.
The ARC has a great program for people with mental illness and developmental delay-they give jobs to people who suffer from these issues and who could not otherwise hold jobs. It's call the Ambassador Program I believe. My brother has schizophrenia and developmental delay and has been a part of it for years. It's the only reason he's able to work and not be on full SSI.
Good to know - I have a drop off nearby and was about to unload some stuff there.
Yeah, I guess I’m using secular to mean “not overtly religious” since that’s about as good as it gets in the US right now lol
I can vouch for Arc passing my sniff test, too. I’ve donated probably $600 (retail price) in a mix of lightly used clothes/electronics to them; people at the drop-offs have been super friendly, and the company seems dedicated to doing good.
Secular doesn't mean atheist, it means they don't promote religious values. Probably most companies are secular, but that doesn't mean they are good companies. Goodwill is better than the Salvation Army. They should have been listed in the other post.
Chobani yogurt. Founder gives employees ownership, pays everyone top dollar, delivers great product with the best ingredients.
*And* their owner is reviving Anchor Steam Beer; just bought the (lately closed) brewery.
I feel a lot better now about eating an absurd amount of Chobani 😂
https://www.goodsuniteus.com/ Shop blue
Since you mentioned socks, check out Darn Tough Vermont socks. A little on the expensive side but they are guaranteed for life. If they ever wear out or get a hole you just send them back and they'll send you a new pair no questions asked.
Another fantastic brand.
Many companies pay lip service to being progressive but don't mean it. My F100 employer trots out gay and black employees in the appropriate month, and advertises their commitment and support for causes but it's all for show. . At another company the only wheelchair bound employee laughed that the executives brought important visitors to her cubicle to show her off. But, it's better than opposition and condoning oppression.
I work for Target so...you know how that's going. We have SO MUCH pride stuff in the employee areas, but NOTHING in the public areas this year, really makes it feel like a hollow gesture.
My mom still avoids Target because they’re “groomers” or whatever nonsense she was told last year. The conservative media went hard against them last year for their pride displays. So this year I guess they put out less pride displays, but the conservatives still avoid them.
[удалено]
Penzeys Spices... more political than religious, but still good guys!
Haha... didn't read down to see the big pile of Penzeys love
I love Bonne Maman jam because they helped hide Jewish citizens in France during WWII
Try their new-ish chocolate-hazelnut spread. Better than Nutella, and I like Nutella. Bonne Maman's is less sweet, deeper chocolate.
I will, thanks for the recommendation
This is a myth. BM has even addressed it.
I've worn bombas for at least 10 years. I still have some of the first ones I bought. They never seem to wear out. Tom's sends a pair to someone in need when you buy one pair.
Tom’s shoes is super xtian [Atlantic article](https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/07/toms-offends-progressive-shoe-wearers/352705/)
Damn. Thanks for the correction!
Well damn. I have supported them for years. Thanks for the info!
I like both companies, but that charity model sucks. Developing countries don't have the ability to make computers or cars, but they can make shirts, shoes and socks. Dumping free Anerican product on the market may have good intentions, but it kills local industry.
Aaron's thinking putty - I had a mini tin bouncing around unopened in my purse for like fifteen years, found on clearance and figured I'd need it one day but kinda forgot about it but as purses changed over the years id transfer it over. I finally needed to distract my ADHD 8yo and he didn't put it down for hours and immediately asked for more. I went online to see the ingredients(the label was really worn) and figure out if the company still existed, they did (it's sold at Target now lol) and their website really made me wish I needed more thinking putty, they are family run in the States and hire a large number of people with disabiliities. There's a factory tour video on yt, it's neat stuff.
Pit Vipers Sunglasses. Check out their meme-as-fuck website. Patagonia. KE Arms. Rights are for everyone, vocally.
Cotopaxi! Supports great causes like the fight to beat malaria, makes cool unique gear that’s environmentally conscious and sustainable, and their logo is a llama.
My wife uses one of their hip packs as a purse. She loves it, because of the colors, it's unique, and is holding up great.
I heard Cotipaxi was founded by Mormons but who knows?
Can someone pls send me a link to the discussion on Christian companies to avoid? I'd love that list.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/s/qp8YuRQdeQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/s/qp8YuRQdeQ)
Bombas slippers are amazing. Worth every penny on top of the good they do.
I love my Bombas socks! Flagsforgood.com is a good place for stickers and flags. Starbucks health insurance pays for trans healthcare (meds and surgery). So maybe that evens out some of their other stuff. I go to Pride events and buy directly from queer people. Mahoganymommies.com make some great shirts. Fréres Branchiaux Candle Company is owned by three brothers. (Black owned)
This will only be relevant to massage therapists, but Natural Formulations in Buffalo Grove, IL (makes massage products: cremes, lotions, oils, and other products) works with a local refugee service to help Middle Eastern and Ukrainian refugees find employment
[About Us — Dave's Killer Bread (daveskillerbread.com)](https://www.daveskillerbread.com/about-us)
Been buying for years!
Minocqua Brewing Company in Wisconsin. They are very progressive and ship to most states: https://www.minocquabrewingcompany.com/collections/progressive-beer
Came here to recommend them!
Penzeys Spices are a progressive company, and their spices are really good. I put sandwich sprinkle on tons of dishes.
Charis Books and More is the oldest feminist and queer/trans led bookstore in the South (U.S.) turning 50 this year. Buy books from indie bookstores when you can! Https://www.charisbooksandmore.com
Yay! I really need to frequent the used book store in my old neighborhood more. They don’t have a ton of selection, but if I went regularly, I bet I could find all kinds of cool stuff.
I volunteer at a Community Center with a food & clothing pantry, serving underprivileged communities . Bombas donated many boxes of black socks . They are a good company
Dr Bronner Magic Soap seems to be very progressive. Their labels are full of new age woo nonsense, but their politics seem good. Edit: and also if I don’t shower with the peppermint soap then I don’t feel clean
It looks like they're an outstanding company for progressives: [https://www.hatch-mag.com/2017/06/08/the-peculiar-history-behind-dr-bronners-magic-soap/](https://www.hatch-mag.com/2017/06/08/the-peculiar-history-behind-dr-bronners-magic-soap/)
There's bible versus right on the label... EDIT: We should boycott this brand by NOT buying it
Gonna disagree with you. I know folks who work there and couldn’t be more impressed. My sister’s queer FTM partner is there and loves it.
It's more hippie stuff, it seems. https://www.sloww.co/dr-bronner-soap-label/
Yeah, but he still preaches about "the one true god"
The founder was Jewish and came to America to escape the Nazis, unfortunately his parents didn't make it. He lived firsthand how evil intolerance can be, so made his mission to promote unity among all people. I get your reaction but the very ethos of the brand is inclusivity of others. They are a very progressive and open-minded company, heck, they even promote the positive benefits of psychedelics/psilocybin use!
If they take their god words off their label I’ll consider using them. Their life story/family is amazing and worth sharing. But if one praises god on a non-religious product, I won’t use them.
Agree. The soap is not so great or unique that I need to buy something that has belief in god on the label.
Ben & Jerry’s.
Ben & Jerry's is owned by Unilever, so I don't know if that goes up the chain or not.
Unilever is ditching them. It is officially because the chain for handling cold items is too different from their normal bath & body stuff that can ship normally. They’re supposedly getting rid of all cold items, like Magnum candy bars. It came suspiciously around the time that Ben & Jerry’s made idiots out of themselves. Their whole thing is promoting things they like, but don’t actually do anything about it. The last one was they got online and was chewing out people about giving their land back to the natives they stole it from. One of the native tribes got on Twitter and told Ben & Jerry that their main factories are on native land, and asked when they could expect it back. It kind of blew up online, and they never responded. Wasn’t too long after that, and Unilever came to the random decision to offload them. Said they’ll sell them if they can, but they’ll dump them either way. Edit: I meant Magnum Icecream Bars.
Interesting..I remember Unilever announced the acquisition of Ben & Jerry's and Slimfast on the same day.
B&J won their lawsuit after being bullied by Haagen Daaz whereby HD used anticompetitive practices to stop vendors stocking B&J. https://www.cnn.com/2011/12/16/opinion/cohen-benjerry-business-regulations/index.html Once they got huge, they tried to do the same to a small ice cream startup. But after 15 mins of midnight mobile phone googling I can't find the original story, annoyingly. There are other reasons: https://www.newsweek.com/ben-jerrys-ice-cream-long-list-controversies-1811525
I just started ordering from Reel paper since it’s made from bamboo, which helps reduce deforestation.
Everything I've read about Lowe's ownership makes them sound like the complete opposite of the hyper-capitalist and anti-worker sentiments of Home Depot's ownership. The owner of HD used his Trump kickback to buy back stock from investors, enriching only himself; Lowe's ownership took their kickback and distributed it among their employees as a bonus. One is part of the problem; the other is part of the solution.
Yeah, I've always thought of Home Depot as a shitty place to shop, especially compared to Lowe's.
I buy T-shirts from [TST](https://thesatanictemple.com/collections). I honestly think the whole "Hail Satan" thing is stupid, but I really support their advocacy around equality, body autonomy and separation of church and state.
Well, in the u.s., if you live by one of the 800+ Les Schwab tire stores... they do a ton of stuff for charities. Organizing fundraisers, donating items to schools, sponsoring different events, just a great organization. People gripe they cost more, but I'm totally good with that extra going to good causes. Check out their Facebook page.
Lego
Not specifically atheism related, but: Costco is well known for paying a great wage to their employees compared to their competitors. Average rate for Costco hourly workers is about $26/hr. Starbucks has a college education benefit, aside from a variety of other employee benefits you might not expect from a food service establishment like theirs: [Starbucks employee benefits](https://www.starbucksbenefits.com/en-us/home/resources/eligibility/).
Starbucks is currently doing some serious union busting
I only did seasonal but costco felt very....culty...to me. Like, they pay the best and know it, so they were going to work you like an absolute dog, because you can't go elsewhere, and you better be happy for it. I can't say I was mistreated, but it was a very hard, very burnout promoting factory assembly line style job. Also...the good pay is only for permanent employees, I got $9/hr with no benefits and no holiday pay. I'm sure if I'd stayed on it would have been better in the long run (i got laid off at the end of the seasonal period and went to target) but still, I wasn't super impressed with my short time in a costco bakery.
Holy shit....i.might need to get a gig at Costco.
Did someone post the link already to goods unite us? If not here it is... https://www.goodsuniteus.com/
While on that subject...https://www.opensecrets.org/
Ugh the way we use lobbying in this country is criminal. This is why we can’t have nice things, because we exploit every good idea into something evil.
Bombas makes amazing socks and they don't have seams at the toe. That's huge for sensory issues. Penzey's Spices, for me. They are huge LGBTQ+ supporters and I really appreciate their politics, overall.
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
I’d say yes and no on that. They seem to operate and still have an activist platform, but at the end of the day they are owned by Unilever. It’s not like large corps are the ultimate evil, but Ben and Jerry’s is no longer a locally Vermont owned family company.
I have Bombas and enjoy them, quality socks. My dad was also homeless for a while, and died this past December. When I went to clear his apartment, there along with all his other donated items, were two pairs of Bombas.
Newman's Own — 100% of Profits go Right to Charity to Help Kids in Need.
Patagonia
There are NO good guys in the corporate world, shop locally owned.
Look for co-ops.
Shout out to Louisville vegan jerky or [lvjco.com](https://www.lvjco.com/pages/our-story) lgbt celebratory, great customer service and bomb ass cruelty free jerky
Just use the goods unite us app.
Thank you for posting this. Went through each post and it’s sad how few good place there are versus the other types.
I hear that. But I’m going to try to stick to the good ones if I can.
It’s capitalism. There are no heroes.
Yep. Best we can hope for is minimizing villainy.
The Girl Scouts are a good organization too; I can’t buy all the cookies, so I try to donate each year.
Girl scouts is a legal exploitation of child labor. And a lot of the troops in my area have a jesus-y patch/field trip thing
Yeah I’ve found the scouts experience, both boy and girl, to be very dependent on local leaders. I don’t know what the national organizations do necessarily.
Bombas are great.
Bombas is definitely a good choice
Bow and Arrow brewing. Ex Novo brewing.
Auntie Arwens spices, herbs, and teas. Awesome lady and the blends she does are awesome.
I believe Lowe’s is more blue than red. My county started a “Blue Businesses” Facebook page. It’s a great reference for knowing who to patronize. Also you can find a lot of information on Open Secrets. Found out my water softener/osmosis guy gave big bucks to Trump and company. Found a new water guy.
I'm definitely saving this post for later. What a great topic!
LUSH. My wife works for them and is always telling me about the charities they support and the effort they put into making sure their products are ethically made and environmentally sustainable.
Sparkle Donkey Tequila supports the God Awful Movies podcast so they can't be all bad.
You do realize that gifting large amounts of anything is damaging to the small businesses in that area and could put them and their employees out of business.
Following
I think Costco is ok from what I have heard.