4MyChild: Help and Hope for Life

February 19, 2007

Website offers to link socially conscious businesses and suppliers

Here is an interesting concept, buy five dozen sandwiches and two plates of cookies for your next meeting and you could help give a disabled person, immigrant or youth a job. Currently online in 8 communities in Canada with 10 more in the works.

The site or portal, Social Purchasing Portal works by
promoting sites that offer everyday business goods and services, such as office supplies, catering, and couriers, to create local economic and social value without added cost or loss of purchasing value.
Say you are an office manager- you can choose to buy office supplies or sandwiches for the next meeting through a socially conscious group- say one that gives employment and training to young adults with cerebral palsy.
Purchases buy from social value suppliers in the local community - if at a competitive price- and suppliers agree to meet social and economic objectives and offer employment in the local community.

I have not heard of similar idea in the United States. If you know of one please let me know and I will absolutely promote it on our blog. What do you think of this idea? Is it exploitive? Is is a good way to encourage the hiring of people with disabilites? Would you be more iclined to buy services from a site or company that was “socially concious?”  Please post your thoughts in comment section.