This month we've been featuring products from our friends at Aloha for People. The story of Brian and Emily all started when they read Blake Mycoskie's book Start Something That Matters that recalls his journey as the founder of TOMS Shoes. They were both incredibly inspired by his story and by the idea that a company could exist with a primary mission of helping people. They both thought, "We can do this. We can start something that matters." Their goal was to create a company that makes products they both are passionate about. Brian has an intense love of aloha shirts and the Hawaiian culture surrounding them and Emily studied apparel design in college. They decided to start by making aloha shirts that represented the culture of the people they hoped to help. This is the foundation of Aloha for People. They make products using fabric hand-woven throughout the world, including Guatemala and Nepal. With every product sold, they provide a child in need access to clean water for 2 years.

Over the past year, Aloha for People has grown from an idea discussed in their living room to a fully functioning company with a line of products that includes aloha shirts, t-shirts, tank tops, surf fins, and surfboard bags. Starting with 600 aloha shirts, they have provided jobs in both the United States and Guatemala and will provide clean water access to over 800 children in Guatemala by the end of 2017. They have developed an incredible community of Aloha Ambassadors who represent their brand in an epic way and help to spread the aloha all around the world. We're thrilled to be one of their amazing retailers helping to spread the word. and support their cause.

We both hope you love the shirts and the Aloha Spirit their products represent.