Community Impact
What does made-in-USA mean to us? It means supporting local manufacturers across the country and creating high-quality products in ethical working environments. But most importantly, it means making this country an incredible place for everyone to live and thrive.
Read to to learn about how we've given back to the community over the years!
Table of Contents:
- EOD Warrior Foundation Campaigns
- COVID-19 Mask Campaign
- North Carolina Hurricane Helene Relief
- Maui Wildfire Support
- Houses for Warriors
- Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund
- Green Beret Foundation
- Additional Organizations
EOD Warrior Foundation Campaigns
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technicians are the brave individuals who lay their lives on the line to protect soldiers and civilians. They're in charge of locating, identifying, and disposing bombs - often at great personal risk. It's an incredibly stressful, yet important position.
The EOD Warrior Foundation (EODWF) serves this EOD tech community and their families through financial support. They also connect techs to resources, offer educational programs, and host events for peer-to-peer & morale support.
We're immensely proud of the incredible work that EOD techs and the EODWF do. For years, we have shown our support through various Veterans Day and Memorial Day campaigns. To date, we've raised over $10,000 for the EOD Warrior Foundation!
Check out our EOD Warrior Foundation page for more info about the EODWF and get updates about upcoming campaigns!
COVID-19 Mask Campaign
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many hardworking Americans stepped up offer immediate help. Healthcare workers worked around the clock, risking their health and personal lives to help those impacted by the virus. Local manufacturing plants spent their long shifts making as much protective equipment as they could.
We’re a small business, always striving to do the right thing and help the best we can. So, when we heard there was an incredible team of American manufacturers coming together to make face masks, we immediately joined. Our part? We donated the cotton fabric needed to make this much-needed PPE.
With the help of our wonderful donors, we raised over $30,000 to manufacture more than 20,000 PPE masks for pediatric hospitals, facilities, patients, and staff nationwide. We’re so proud to have been involved in such an amazing initiative, and truly couldn’t have done it without the help of the Authenticity50 community!
Check out the medical heroes who received A50 masks:
"We want to express our gratitude to all those who made it possible, from those who spun the yarn, wove it into fabric, sewed it into masks, the generous donors and Authenticity50 for coordinating all this. While these heroes faces are covered, you can still clearly see the smiles in their eyes!"
-Atrium Health
North Carolina Hurricane Helene Relief
In September 2024, the Southeastern United States were hit by Hurricane Helene. The aftermath was catastrophic, and we watched in horror as it quickly became one of the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricanes in recent history. Entire towns and cities were flooded, essential roads were gone, and food, water, & electricity were scarce. Our hearts broke as the death toll and missing person count rose by the hour, especially in Western North Carolina where the hurricane hit the hardest.
When we checked in with our North Carolina manufacturing partners, colleagues, and friends, they suggested we raise awareness by holding a fundraiser. We sprung into action and held a weekend-long giveback campaign. Customers, like you, saved 10% site-wide and we donated 10% of all proceeds to the North Carolina Community Foundation.
With your generosity and help, we surpassed our donation goal, raising $1,600 for the NCCF! This organization works with non-profit and charitable organizations across North Carolina to provide emergency relief to the millions affected.
Maui Wildfire Support
In August 2023, Hawaii was hit by one of the worst series of wildfires in recent US history. Centuries of cultural and historical landmarks and towns were destroyed in seconds. This immense tragedy hit especially close to home for our co-founder Steph. She was born & raised on O’ahu, Hawaii, and has cherished memories of visits to Maui and the town of Lahaina. We knew we needed to take action.
We launched a blanket giveback campaign to help support the the families and communities who have suffered such a big loss in the fires. For every Island Sand or Coastal Blue Heritage Blanket purchased, we donated $30 to the Hawai'i Community Foundation. We were able to exceed our original donation goal, raising $2,000! Your support helped provide immediate relief on the ground for so many in critical need.
Houses for Warriors
Veterans are 50% more likely to experience homelessness than any other American. We're firm believers that everyone deserves to sleep well, so it was heartbreaking for us to learn that so many of our nation's heroes were at risk of not having a safe place to rest at all.
The fantastic crew at Houses for Warriors are working hard to combat this issue by giving American veterans a hand-UP, not a hand-out. This non-profit organization helps at-risk military veterans and first responders navigate a self-sufficient life after serving by providing them a safe, fully-furnished living space. We are so in awe of all they do and knew we wanted to help.
During Independence Day weekend 2023, we ran a "Buy One, Give One" campaign. For every order placed, we donated a pillow to Houses for Warriors. This campaign was a huge success, and we were able to donate 85 pillows! Bedding and pillows are some of the most in-demand items by Houses for Warriors, so we're so glad we could contribute to such a great team.
Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund
In August 2017, Texas and Louisiana were flooded by Hurricane Harvey. This catastrophic, Category 4 hurricane impacted millions of Americans. We watched in horror as lives were lost, families were displaced, and entire livelihoods were destroyed in days.
As the storm started dissipating in early September, it was clear that there was a lot of work that needed to be done to rebuild these communities. Through our 2017 Labor Day weekend sale, we were able to raise $2,160 for the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund - surpassing our fundraising goal! These communities sustained billions of dollars in damage, and we’re proud that we could play our part in helping the Texas coast.
Green Beret Foundation
The United States Army Special Forces (also known as the Green Berets) are an elite group of soldiers in charge of keeping Americans safe both locally and overseas. They're tasked with some of the most complex missions in the military, such as unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, and special reconnaissance.
Since 2009, the Green Beret Foundation has helped more than 15,000 special forces families. Whether it's emergency casualty support or help making the transition back to civilian life, they're dedicated to honoring Green Berets (past and present) by providing them and their loved ones the assistance and opportunities they need.
We’re so grateful for everything the Green Beret Foundation does for the heroes of this country. Over Veterans Day weekend 2017, we donated $20 of each sheet set we sold to the Green Beret Foundation. By the end of the weekend, we were able to raise over $1,000 for this amazing organization!
Additional Organizations
Learn more about some more wonderful organizations we've proudly donated to over the years.