By far, Americans are the most charitable on Earth. At home and abroad, when people need help, you'll find legions of Americans willing to donate cash, their time, and other resources to help the afflicted. In Ukraine, we're witnessing a refugee crisis in Europe not seen since World War II. Well over a million Ukrainians have fled into neighboring nations, specifically Poland, in the wake of the Russian invasion. All men 18-60 cannot leave. Those who wish to fight, and there are many, are receiving arms and ammunition. Martial law is in effect. General mobilization orders have been issued for days. The entire civilian population has been mustered—and they're doling out a frenetic and stubborn defense against the Russian invaders. Thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed. Their tanks are running out of fuel. Their progress has been stalled in many parts of the country. This was not the cakewalk Putin had envisioned, with his military's flaws now explicitly displayed for all to see.
Yet, as the Ukrainians fight on, the civilians who have fled need help. This war is far from over. One American flag manufacturer cannot send arms and ammunition, but it can send money to help with relief efforts. That's what Allegiance Flag Supply is doing right now. They will be donating 10 percent of their profits to Operation USA to help these people.
"At Allegiance Flag Supply, we know that an American flag is more than just a piece of fabric. The Stars and Stripes have, for generations, stood for the ideals of freedom and democracy in our own land and wherever brave Americans have carried it," she said in a statement. "The people of Ukraine may be fighting under their own flag, but they're fighting for those same ideals of freedom and democracy. Allegiance is proud to stand with them, and that's why we're donating 10% of sales to Operation USA."
Remember, this is a small business. This isn't Amazon. And it was able to survive the COVID pandemic. Ms. Lyon and her husband quit their corporate jobs to start this business up right before the medical fascists said it was time to hide in our bunkers. The New York Times documented its beginning in December 2020 as it was one of the few businesses able to tread water with the quarantines (via NYT):
Katie and Wes Lyon, along with their college friend and business partner, Max Berry, quit their corporate jobs in March to work full time at their start-up, selling American-made American flags.
[…]
How much growth? “It’s not a number anyone believes when we say it, it’s so crazy,” Ms. Lyon said. She paused before answering: “4,000 percent.”
A year earlier, they weren’t sure their e-commerce business would fly. They started the company in late 2018 to “crickets,” Mr. Berry said. “We’re not one of those companies that turned our website on and orders flowed in.”
He and the Lyons originally thought handmade American flags sewn by American workers using materials sourced in America would be an easy sell. That’s what they had personally looked for, and couldn’t find.
“We had two options: We could buy it on Amazon or from a big-box store,” Mr. Lyon said. “And either it was imported from China — which is ridiculous to us — or, if it was made domestically, it is mass produced with cheap materials.”
They set out to create a better flag and found a production house in South Carolina that could make their star-spangled banners.
But then … the crickets. It took them nearly a year to learn how to effectively target customers with digital ads. They realized they couldn’t just sell an American flag; they needed to highlight its quality and their American-made ideals. They adjusted their digital advertising just before the pandemic — fortuitous timing that helped them ride the coronavirus e-commerce boom.
“I think it was because people were spending more time at home and taking care of their home,” Ms. Lyon said. “That mixed with a huge American pride, that we’re all in this together, we have a responsibility to keep each other safe, as Americans.”
Don't be shocked if other businesses do the same thing or partake in other charitable ways to offer help to these people. The Biden administration said it's willing to accept refugees but noted that most want to remain in Europe. The door will always be open, however.
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