Pura Vida

I posted a year or so ago about Kiel James Patrick bracelets, and how they provided actual, real customer service. Kiel is a great guy and has stood by his word and I love to buy his things when I can. It can be really hard to find companies that actually practice what they preach and stand by their values, but I found another one - Pura Vida bracelets. Pura vida means "pure life," meaning you should enjoy every moment and not take anything for granted. The company was founded by 2 friends who were in Costa Rica when they noticed a guy named Jorge selling handmade bracelets. They started talking with him, and found out he and his family were living in a single room.The friends asked him to make 400 bracelets to take back with them to the US, and when they did, they sold out like crazy. They were simple string bracelets, but the simplicity spoke for itself. They teamed up with Jorge, who finally had enough money to buy a house for his family, and to this day, the bracelets are handmade in Costa Rica, providing jobs for locals. A portion of all their sales go to the Surfrider Foundation, which helps keep beaches and oceans clean, and they also sell charity bracelets - $1 from each bracelet goes to the charity for which it is made. (The bracelets themselves are only $5 for regular ones). The charities range from March of Dimes to the Wounded Warrior project to numerous cancer funds.

Everyone with whom I have spoken there has been wonderful in replacing broken bracelets to making sure I got them in time, and I've been happy to support them.