Help Haiti by Buying from Etsy

There are so many ways to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake, the choice may actually feel a bit daunting. Well, here's a unique option to consider. Buy something handmade! Over at Etsy.com, there are currently over three thousand stores (and still growing) that are donating portions of their sales to the people of Haiti. In fact, the 70 or so Etsy employees themselves have raised over $13K dollars to be matched by the company.

You can find just about anything in this list, but here are a few of my faves:

Haiti Relief Little Bird Necklace

Valentine Coffee Cozy

Cozy Cowl in Chartreuse

Etsy.com is in essence, the world's largest on-line mall for one-of-a-kind, handcrafted items (and vintage too). With hundreds of thousands of shops to browse, you could spend days salivating over visual eye candy and making long lists of ‘must-haves' for sure that no one else has.

The site was created four years ago by 29-year-old Brooklynite, Rob Kalin, lover of eccentricity. In 2009, Etsy sold over $100 million worth of hand-made goods.

Etsy.com may be a profitable corporation, but many of the crafters with individual stores on the site are not. These are people creating items with their own hands, and with love. They aren't necessarily able to make a living off of their craft. So to donate a portion of their sales to those in need just shows the heart of the community over at Etsy.

To see all the ways Etsy is helping, please visit their blog.