Local t-shirt initiative raises $600K for Chicago’s homeless over 10 years
Local initiative Give A Shirt raises $600K for Chicago’s homeless over 10 years
Scott Marvel’s GiveAShi*t initiative, which began with providing t-shirts to help a homeless man earn money, has grown into a decade-long effort that raised $600,000 for Streetwise, a Chicago non-profit supporting at-risk individuals.
CHICAGO - In this morning's Good News Guarantee, a local t-shirt maker's big idea to clothe the homeless leads to more than $100,000 in sales benefitting Chicago's most vulnerable population.
"A guy near our office, he was shaking a cup and he asked me for a little extra change because he had a job interview the next week and he wanted to buy some extra clothes and I said 'I've got a t-shirt company. I can give you fresh t-shirts,'" said Scott Marvel, the founder of the GiveAShi*t initiative.
"So I designed a t-shirt for him and he sold 20 of them the first day for $10 each so he made $200," Marvel said.
The idea grew. Local artists, media personalities and musicians have designed t-shirts for the initiative. All the money raised from the sale of the t-shirts goes to the Chicago nonprofit, Streetwise.
"Streetwise started in 1992 as a way to give homeless people or people at risk of homelessness a way to earn an income with dignity," said Julie Youngquist, the executive director of Streetwise.
You have probably seen one of the 125 Streetwise vendors selling their namesake magazine on Chicago street corners. They contribute to the paper with their own stories. For sales, they earn a wage and obtain additional support.
"It really does become a community and a family," Youngquist said.
In 10 years, GiveAShi*t has raised $600,000 dollars for Streetwise.
"When people GiveAShi*t and buy a shirt, they are really giving a hand up to some of Chicago's most vulnerable populations," Youngquist said.
In a struggling economy, it's a lifesaver for the organization and a life mission for Marvel
"To do something good for something, we only have a certain amount of time on this Earth, why not do something good. And if you can use your talents for something good, it's a no-brainer," Marvel said.
You can order your Good Day Chicago shirt that's a new design this year, or one of the 40 other designs by going to GiveAShirt.net. All proceeds go to Streetwise.