FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How do I purchase a tunic and support your efforts to reduce global child malnutrition?
Wow, great question! We’re very glad you’re interested in supporting our grass-root movement. Ordering a Tunic is simple:
1. View our full catalogue by clicking here.
2.Write out a +$20 check to “U.S. Fund for UNICEF” and, in the memo, put “Malnutrition Relief.” (Your donation to UNICEF is tax-exempt).
3. Tell us the ID number of the tunic you wish to purchase as well as your snail-mail address (for shipping) and e-mail address (so we canconfirm your order)
4. Include $4 (cash) to cover shipping/handling and the original cost of the tunic
5. Place the check, money and request in an envelope and mail to:
The S.T.I.T.C.H Headquarters
(@ Columbia U c/o Guzder)
517 West 121st Street # 401S
New York, NY
10027
We will mail you the requested tunic and re-direct your check to UNICEF within 1-3 days of receiving your order. Please note that tunics with ID#s 101-115 will ship in late August.
Hey, how do I know the money goes to UNICEF?! How do I know S.T.I.T.C.H isn't some sort of internet scam?
To ensure you know your money goes to a good cause, we ONLY accept checks made out to UNICEF (no cash or it will be returned!). The reason you can’t send your check directly to UNICEF is because we need to verify you are, indeed, making a donation and not simply getting a beautiful tunic for nothing. For this reason, you must send us the check along with your order; we will then re-direct your check to UNICEF’s headquarters (obviously we can’t cash a check that's not in our name so no need to worry).
Why is donating to UNICEF especially important right now?
With staff in Lebanon since 1948, UNICEF is providing emergency supplies-including essential medicines, nutritional supplements, and water and sanitation kits as well as a measles immunization campaign to ward off the outbreak of disease. This is only the beginning of relief efforts in the region. UNICEF needs $23.8 million to save and protect the children caught in this crisis.
Is UNICEF also helping civilians in Israel?
STITCH, just like UNICEF, is non-partisan and does not take sides in conflict situations. We think all suffering is really crappy and share UNICEF's concern is the safety and welfare of all children, regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, religion or nationality. From UNICEF'S WEBSITE: As with many other nations that once received assistance from UNICEF, Israel has attained economic security and no longer qualifies as a developing nation according to international standards. UNICEF has no plans to operate emergency relief programs in Israel. Instead, as one of the world's leading industrial nations, Israel provides assistance to UNICEF. For more information, please visit UNICEF.
How much did you originally pay for each tunic? Wow, it looks like days and nights of work went into the stitching so why don’t you give the profit back to the laborers who made the tunics instead of to UNICEF?
We paid an average of 148 Rupees for each tunic so, depending on the day’s exchange rate, that’s around 3 USD. We would love for the profit to go back to the individuals who did the arduous, intricate stitching; however, unfortunately, the logistics are too complicated for a project of our scale and it would be difficult to convince customers we are a legitimate nonprofit organization without affiliating ourselves with a well-established charity. For now, we feel directing the profit towards UNICEF is preferable.
How much would these tunics sell for in a US store?
We can’t say for certain but consider the fact that J.Crew is selling a similar sleeveless tunic for $218!! And, of course, we can guess who’s
pocketing the bulk of that sale (just say no to oh-so-cool, ethnic, trendy stores that are making corporate America wealthier)
I’d like to buy a tunic but I’m a poor student and $20 is kind of steep . . . do you have “student discount”?
Well . . . $20 works out to, like, five or six cups of over-priced coffee at Starbucks so we don’t think our donation requirement is unreasonable. Yet, since all of us here at S.T.I.T.C.H are over-educated and under-paid students ourselves, we understand your hesitation. So here’s the deal: If you send us a photocopy of your student ID, we’ll only require a $15 donation to UNICEF (although you’ll still have to cover shipping/handling). Even if you are a student, we are assuming you will pay in full if you come from a mega-rich family so don't be a scrooge, ok? good!
What is the range of sizes available for the tunics?
The tunics are “one-size fits all” because they are meant to be loose and flowing. Unless you’re exceptionally large or small, you shouldn’t have a problem.
Are the tunics for men or women?
The tunics are traditionally worn by women . . . but we think guys look pretty cute in them too. Of course, they also make excellent gifts.
What is your return policy?
We will not return your donation to UNICEF but are happy to exchange any unworn tunic as long as you cover the shipping/handling fees (please remember that all of us volunteering at S.T.I.T.C.H are students scraping by).
When are you getting another order of the tunics that say “Out of Stock”?
We only get more tunics when one of us goes to India (the last trip was made a few months ago) but, if you send us an email requesting a certain tunic, we will make an effort to re-stock that order.
How can I support the S.T.I.T.C.H project?
Glad you asked! There are several ways you can help our efforts:
1. If you are planning to travel to an impoverished country and have extra room in your bag, buy a few items that are often marketed in trendy US stores. Send us an e-photo and a receipt so we can add the item to our web catalogue after tagging on the $20 donation requirement for purchasing. If it sells, we will reimburse you for the original cost of the product and shipping/handling after the customer verifies she/he received the item. (Ideally, we would like all consumerism to help the least fortunate so we are not restricting our merchandise to tunics)
2. PLEASE refer everyone you know to our website and help spread the word that large US corporations shouldn’t make massive profit killings in a world where one in seven people are malnourished.
3. If you have any information or expertise in website designing or hosting that you would offer for free, please contact us immediately at Support.S.T.I.T.C.H@gmail.com
4. If you have any advice for our project or want to help fill out paperwork to register it as a nonprofit, please contact us: Support.S.T.I.T.C.H@gmail.com
What is UNICEF and what does it do?
UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. For more information, UNICEF
Is malnutrition really a big deal?
Umm, yes. Malnutrition increases dramatically, and kills most rapidly,
ID# Tunic 107 in emergencies. Most children do not die due to conflicts or natural disasters themselves, but rather to resulting food shortages, lack of safe water, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation and hygiene. The vast majority of children succumb to measles, diarrhea, respiratory infections and severe malnutrition (Read more: Malnutrition is Terrible). Even in the U.S., by far the richest country on the planet, 38.2 million people lived in families that were classified as "food insecure" in 2004. A recent study by Dr. Timothy Jones of the University of Arizona found that almost half of the food produced in the United States is wasted at a cost of more than $100 billion a year." That statistic is pretty maddening considering one in seven people, or 852 million are malnourished worldwide according to the United Nations.
What is Fair Trade and where can I get more information on the movement?
The fair trade movement promotes protecting international labor, environment and social standards for the production of traded goods and services. The movement focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries —in contrast with "free trade," which is often protectionist in favor of wealthy nations. “Make Trade Fair” is a campaign by Oxfam International and its 12 affiliates, calling on governments, institutions, and multinational companies to change the rules so that trade can become part of the solution to poverty, not part of the problem. We know that real change will only come when large numbers of people demand it - in rich countries as well as poor. To join the campaign or learn more about the Fair Trade campaign, click here: Oxfam Fair Trade Campaign
How can I become a more socially-conscientious consumer and/or activist?
Here’s a comprehensive list of human rights resources provided by Physicians for Human Rights: Human Rights Organizations
Visit “Ten Thousand Villages” to support Fair Trade: Ten Thousand Villages
I still have a question (or want to report a typo!) so who should I contact?
We love feedback so please feel free to send us an email and we will respond as soon as possible. Please contact us at “Support S.T.I.T.C.H”: Support.S.T.I.T.C.H@gmail.com |
