This year, we donated ~1,000 face coverings to members of the Austin community.

I didn't expect face coverings to be our top seller, our flagship product, or even something that we would make in 2020. But masks were hard to come by in May—almost impossible to find. With access to a manufacturer, the ability to quickly pivot, and frankly, personal protective equipment (PPE) being the only thing our manufacturers were allowed to make for the majority of 2020, I decided designing and manufacturing masks was the right thing to do for the community and our customers. 

Doing the right thing also meant not charging high prices for something people need, donating one face covering per face covering purchased directly to our community, and still committing to making eco-friendly products (our masks are made from recycled polyester). 

Bruce & Olive is passionate about helping our homeless, people of color, and queer communities in Austin. After doing some research, we found two local nonprofits that we felt shared our values and were directly impacting people in need.

The Other Ones is a non-profit focused on transitioning Austin’s homeless neighbors into an engaged community through shelter, opportunity, and support. We recently visited Esperanza Community, their headquarters and housing project offering mental health, food, and job resources for the Austin homeless community, to drop off our second face covering donation of the year. 

 To read more about how The Other Ones, check out their website here: http://toofound.org/

allgo is a non-profit focused on social justice, cultural arts, and health and wellness for queer people of color. It provides resources and relief to queer and minority communities, including grants. We recently visited allgo to drop off our second donation of the year to executive director Pricilla Hale and snapped this cute photo of her in an Onyx Diamond face covering! 

Interested in our masks? Shop now.