More often than not, the purchases people make do not have impact on anyone or anything other than themselves and their closet. The Houghton College Campus Store is active in supporting small businesses that try to create lasting impact worldwide. Last spring, the Campus Store started selling rePURPOSE headbands, and simultaneously joined the fight against human trafficking.
RePURPOSE is a business founded in March 2014 by Houghton alumna Jessica Burt ’06. According to the company’s website, Burt started crafting ethically made headbands from washed, used clothing out of a desire to do her part in the global fight against human trafficking. RePURPOSE donates 100% of its profit to two organizations: The Exodus Road and Make Way Partners. Both organizations work to actively take a stand against human trafficking.
Emma Webb ’16, a former Campus Store employee, served rePURPOSE in the spring of 2016 as a brand ambassador. “After working with Jessica, it is very clear how passionate she is about the lives of others. This business completely stems from how her and her team can make a difference in this world, not how they can make profit,” Webb said.
Houghton seeks to support small, fair-trade businesses that are fueled by passion and quality. “I think that it is really hard to be in fashion industry and not be fast-fashion. The passion that Jessica has is the best thing for a company like hers. It’s inspiring,” Webb remarked.
Rachel Blew, office coordinator and buyer at the Campus Store, echoed Webb and emphasized why it is important for Houghton to support rePURPOSE.
“In Psalms we are called to seek justice, rescue the weak and needy and deliver them from their oppressors. As a Christian Institution that was founded on the belief that education and the power of the Gospel can change the world, it is important for us to put these core values into practice. By supporting rePURPOSE, we are doing what we were founded to do. We are using our education, the Gospel, and the platform we have in the world to educate those around us about the injustices in the world and how we can help.”
Another way rePURPOSE combats human trafficking is through awareness. They sell their products online, at boutiques, salons and churches. Burt and her team also travel around the country speaking to colleges and conferences about rePURPOSE. Through all of those avenues they are able to raise awareness and share the hard facts of human trafficking.
Through rePURPOSE, Jessica and her team are choosing to be an active voice in the ethical issues behind fast-fashion, even if that means sacrifice. All of their products, including head wraps, tie-wraps, one layer boho wraps, headbands, and scarves, are made from washed, used clothing. If rePURPOSE has to buy new for bulk purposes, they purchase ethically made products from the USA or other countries with fair labor practices. All of their products are then handmade by local women.
Blew admires rePURPOSES’s integrity and conviction. “What I love most about rePURPOSE is their intentionality about the materials they use to create their products, as well as the awareness they are raising about human trafficking and the slave labor through these products.”
Webb highly recommends rePURPOSE products for more reasons than one. “The mission of rePURPOSE lines up with much of what Houghton stands for as a whole. That alone is a really good reason to buy and to support this company.”