Amazon-free Gift Ideas

A world-wide holiday is upon us! It’s my birthday! It’s also time to boycott Amazon and reevaluate shopping habits. Rather than sharing an Amazon shopping list like I’ve done in the past, I thought I’d share some some places to shop for gifs for me and other loved ones. This shopping list includes simple gifts, ways to support causes, reading materials, quality apparel, and consumable gift ideas.

Simple Gifts

In a world of chaos, simplicity is a coveted gift. A clean house, quality time, poetry, handmade art, or a thoughtful card are always appreciated. The gifts included in this list are all local to DFW and Black-owned, sustainable, or very openly progressive. Consumables prevent waste because they are used rather than collected. Food, wine, flowers, chocolate, edibles, art supplies, beauty products, and cooking supplies are great consumable gifts. Farm Box, Penney’s Spices, and Chocolate Secrets are wonderful places to get such gifts in the Dallas area.

Support Causes

Trump has progressives on high alert. It’s time to take a stand. These gifts support organizations on the front lines of the battle for democracy. ACLU, SPLC, and Indivisible are doing important work to fight Trump right now. It gives me deep satisfaction to know that these organizations are supported in their important work. In addition, Etsy has great gear that allows me to share the thoughts that are constantly screaming inside my mind.

ACLU

ACLU For over 100 years, the American Civil Liberties Union has participated in more Supreme Court cases than any other private organization.
The ACLU is non-profit and non-partisan. The ACLU remains a champion of segments of the population who have traditionally been denied their rights, with much of our work today focused on equality for people of color, women, gay and transgender people, prisoners, immigrants, and people with disabilities.

Indivisible

Indivisible Indivisible Project (501c4) drives coordinated campaigns, powering the grassroots Indivisible movement to defeat the rightwing takeover of American government and win an inclusive democracy and bold progressive policies.

Today, the Indivisible movement is a progressive grassroots movement of millions of activists across every state, fueled by a partnership between thousands of autonomous local Indivisible groups and a national staff. Indivisible’s national team offers strategic leadership, movement coordination, and support to Indivisible activists, and also directly lobbies congress, builds partnerships, runs media campaigns, and develops advocacy strategies. Together we fight to defeat the rightwing takeover of American government and build an inclusive democracy.
Action by action, day by day, group by group, Indivisibles are remaking our democracy.

They make calls. They show up. They speak with their neighbors. They organize. And through that work, they’ve built hundreds of mini-movements in support of their local values. And now, after practice, training, and repetition, they’ve built lasting power on their home turf and a massive, collective political muscle ready to be exercised each and every day in every corner of the country.

SPLC

SPLC The Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people. Our lawsuits have toppled institutional racism and stamped out remnants of Jim Crow segregation; destroyed some of the nation’s most violent white supremacist groups; and protected the civil rights of children, women, the disabled, immigrants and migrant workers, the LGBTQ community, prisoners, and many others who faced discrimination, abuse or exploitation.

Etsy

A list of political shirts, mugs and stickers can be found at Etsy.

Reading Material

Right now, I like to read nonfiction about politics and poetry. I’ve listed books from different stores. A couple are in the DFW area, one is Black-owned, a couple sell used books to reduce the impact on the planet, and one donates a book for each book sold. They are all solid choices and much better than Amazon. I don’t have a preference yet.

Quality Apparel

I’ve always been eco-conscious but clothes are the most difficult place for me to shop in alignment with my principles. I’ve bought a lot of clothes on Temu that have brought me joy because I can’t afford to buy wool clothes and linen clothes. $100 per piece is outside my budget right now and I don’t have the time to search through thrift stores right now. A couple of these shoes are expensive but I can wear them daily and my feet are very important to me. I walk, hike and chase boys all the time. Shoes are worth the investment and good shoes never let me down. I’m also on the hunt for second-hand Droc Martens.

Ronda Litwin