Shop For A Cause

5 fabulous gifts that feel good to get and give

Proceeds from one Esperos bag provides a year of schooling for a child in Haiti.
Photo courtesy of Esperos
A portion of proceeds from Mizzen+Main shirts goes to A Shirt for A Startprogram benefiting U.S. veterans.
Photo by Daniel Musomba
Abi Ferrin's Freedom Project handbags are made by Cambodian women working at theSak Suam ministry.
Photo courtesy of Abi Ferrin
Helen Ficalora designed an Africa shaped charm for Water-Thirst and theirefforts to create cleaner water systems.
Helen Ficalora Necklace/Water-Thirst
All proceeds from the Equinox Strength shirt go to the American Red Cross forHurricane Sandy relief.
Photo courtesy of Equinox

Gifting and giving are always top of mind during the holidays. We like to shop for a cause year round, but this time of year, it becomes more important to spend our dollars where they count most.

With the rise of socially conscious businesses and entrepreneurs, gifting with purpose is easier than ever. Here is a list of five holiday gifts that are heart-warming to give and receive.

For the book nerd: Esperos bag
When Oliver Shuttlesworth returned from travels in Central America, he decided to support impoverished children and urge people to "carry hope." So every time you purchase an Esperos backpack or tote bag, you help one disadvantaged child in Haiti attend school.

Esperos works with Fonkoze, a nonprofit micro-finance institution dedicated to empowering women and their families in Haiti. Backpacks are $70; totes are $60. Purchase both online.

For the serious man: Mizzen+Main dress shirt
Support U.S. veterans this holiday by giving the men in your life a Mizzen+Main sweat-wicking dress shirt. Kevin Lavelle started his men's line with a greater purpose in mind. A portion of proceeds from each shirt goes to A Shirt for A Start program, which helps an American hero make the transition from military service to the workforce.

The must-have shirts come in five colors — priced from $115 to $150 — and can be purchased online or at WAREhaus in West Village.

For the feminine girl: Abi Ferrin Freedom Project clutch
Dallas designer Abi Ferrin started the Freedom Project to empower women globally. The project works with women in the Sak Saum ministry in Cambodia, which provides fair trade work, education, counseling and more to victims of abuse.

The women in Sak Saum construct these handbags in their entirety. You can a bag — priced between $65 and $85 — at Piermarini, and soon they will be available on Abi Ferrin's website.

For the accessorizer: Water-Thirst Africa charm necklace
Jewelry designer Helen Ficalora created a silver Africa-shaped charm for Water-Thirst — a project of the local nonprofit Speak Hope — which is dedicated to providing clean water solutions on a global scale.

One hundred percent of proceeds from the sale of these charms goes to the charity. The charms, available on a silver chain or leather cord for $150, can be purchased online.

For the athlete: Equinox Staying Strong T-shirt
Equinox designed a limited-edition shirt to support victims of Hurricane Sandy, and all proceeds go to the American Red Cross. The nonprofit provides food, shelter and assistance to devastated victims.

These simple but powerful T-shirts, emblazoned with the word "strength," are available for $35 at both Highland Park and Preston Hollow Equinox locations.

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This week's hot headlines

DFW's dismal ranking among best places to live leads this week's 5 most-read headlines

Courtesy photo

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Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Dallas-Fort Worth no longer a top 100 place to live, declares U.S. News & World Report. Dallas-Fort Worth has fallen from grace in a closely watched annual report of the best places to live in the U.S. The Metroplex appears at a dismal No. 113 (out of 150) in U.S. News & World Report's Best Places to Live ranking for 2023-2024. Last year, DFW landed at No. 32; it was No. 37 in 2021. Here's (sort of) why it plummeted in the rankings.

2. Sliders restaurant from Detroit shimmies onto Dallas' Greenville Ave. A slider concept from the Great Lakes State is expanding to Texas, and that includes a high-profile location in Dallas: Called Savvy Sliders, it's a young fast-casual concept founded in Flint, Michigan, and it will open its first Dallas restaurant at 4818 Greenville Ave., in the space recently vacated by vegan chicken restaurant Project Pollo.

3. New lagoon-waterpark with lazy river dives into Dallas-Fort Worth. A long-awaited waterpark in Cedar Hill is debuting Memorial Day weekend with two of Texas' favorite splashy attractions: a lagoon and lazy river. The Lagoon at Virginia Weaver Park will open Saturday, May 27 after more than a year in development.

4. Happy Hippie Brewing to bring peace, love, and beer to new HQ in Richardson. A craft beer brewery is opening a splendid new facility in Richardson: Happy Hippie Brewing Company, a small brewery specializing in Belgian-style beers, is opening an an 11,000-square-foot brewery and taproom at 500 Lockwood Dr., in the Lockwood area within the city's evolving CORE District.

5. Asian restaurant Howard Wang's shutters location in Uptown Dallas. A Chinese restaurant in Uptown Dallas closed: Howard Wang's Uptown Grill, one in a family-owned chain, closed its location at 3223 Lemmon Ave. #103, with the final day of service on May 21. The restaurant had been at that location for 12 years.